Growing Pains
by TheLittleMoonLover
Summary: 2003 Film Version It's been five years since Wendy left Neverland, now on the verge of her seventeenth birthday she is trying to find her way in life. But on the evening of her birthday Tinkerbell takes her away to Neverland where Wendy reunited with Peter who has changed more than Wendy could ever believe. Now the clock is ticking for the pair, they must save Neverland.
1. Chapter 1

Wendy Moira Angela Darling stood at the window in the nursery, hair fluttering in the wind as she looked out onto the cold London night her eyes finding the particular star she looked at every evening.

"Second star to the right and straight on till morning." She whispered to herself before turning to face the room. There were seven beds shoved up against the circular walls, and all were messily made.

These beds belonged to her seven brothers, John, Michael, Nibs (Full name Nicholas), Curly (Christian), Tootles (Trevor), and Siddle and Diddle (Samuel and Dylan) the twins. They had all been renamed by Mrs. Darling, Wendy's mother, because she wanted them to have respectable grown up names. In truth, only Michael and John were her actual brothers, the other five came to them nearly five years ago from a magical place a place called—

"Wendy!" Michael stood in the doorway, he was now ten years old and hated being treated like a child—although Wendy knew he still kept his teddy hidden under his bed.

"Yes Michael?" she crossed the room to him, planting a gentle smile on her face.

"Mother says Aunt is here for your evening dance lessons." He smiled before turning and running down the stairs. Wendy blew her bangs out of her face with a huff before heading down the hall to her room to put on her waltzing shoes.

After she finished she looked at herself in the mirror. At the age of sixteen Wendy had grown, she was taller now, her face more defined, her hair long and shining down her back, her curves had formed giving her the body of a woman. Wendy was no longer a girl.

"Wendy!" Her Aunt called and Wendy obediently went down stairs to the drawing room, her whole family sat on settees and arm chairs smiling at her. "What is it?" she asked a hand going to her hair.

"Nothing dear." Her mother said.

"Alright." Her Aunt declared loudly, "We must make Wendy a soaring swan before her Seventeenth Birthday—she will be debuting after all." The woman preened as the family clapped.

"Now each of the young men will take turns escorting Wendy onto the dance floor and leading her into a dance, now who will be first?" all of the boys took one stepped back.

"Well then," she huffed, "Simon. You will be Wendy's first dance partner." Slightly—now renamed Simon stepped forward. He was Fifteen years old now, his shoulders had broadened and his features had begun to square off into a man's.

"Yes Mother." Slightly said, stepping forward and bowing before offering the crook of his arm, a true gentleman. Millicent Darling would have no less from her son. Aunt Millicent switched on the radio and the first strains of a waltz filled the room.

Wendy and Slightly went through the practiced steps, adding little flourishes here and there for elegance's sake. After the song had ended they stepped away from each other, Wendy dropping into a curtsy and Slightly dropping into a low bow before grinning at his cousin rakishly. "You are a divine dancer, Lady Darling." He joked.

"Why thank you Milord." She teased back.

"Enough of this silliness." Millicent declared.

Wendy pouted, "But Aunt Millicent, I don't want to waltz. I want to swing dance!" she grabbed her Aunt's hands and swung her about before twirling off and beginning to dance with Slightly. "Can you imagine it? Lively dance clubs, full of beautiful women and men all dancing in an exciting dance like this?"

Millicent put a hand to her chest. "I dare not dream of such a thing! And neither should you my dear, no such thoughts should be in a debutante's mind." Wendy rolled her eyes and Slightly twirled her sending her floral print dress swirling through the air. She laughed and Millicent huffed, muttering about showing knees.

"Can you believe it's been almost five years?" Mrs. Darling took her husband's hand into her own. The couple looked at their eight children with amusement they had converged on Wendy asking many questions about swing dancing and such.

"We should have never let her friends take her to that dance club." Mr. Darling said shaking his head as Wendy took Michael into a spin.

"We had to get her spirits up about something, she may seem fine George but you and I have noticed the difference over the years. She lost some of herself when the children went missing, an important part—she just won't tell us what." Mary said, she had always been very observant about all of her children.

"I thought it was her growing into a woman. My coworkers tell me all the stories of how strange their daughter's became after thirteen." He muttered, getting an eye roll from his wife.

"Alright children," she called gently "lets finish Wendy's lesson and then it's off to bed you all have school in the morning." The boys groaned but Mrs. Darling hushed them, "And we also must get Wendy to bed she has a hard day ahead, she has her classes but also she will be going to the dress fittings, shoe fittings and much much more. Please give your sister the strength." She admonished them, they turned guiltily to their sister and she smiled at them opening her arms for a hug in which they all piled in (With the exception of John and Slightly, for they were grown men (Both being on the cusp of sixteen.) and grown men did not hug.

Aunt Millicent shooed them away, turning on the radio and directing Wendy into her next dance.

* * *

The next morning Wendy lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, she did not have to be awake for another thirty minutes so she just stared.

'_Come away with me Wendy.' The blond boy whispered into her ear, 'Come away with me and you will never have to grow up.' _

_She turned towards the boy, a smile spreading on her face. He held out his hand, palm face up and beckoned for her. A crash down stairs made her jerk toward the door. _

'_Never.' She said turning towards him uncertainly. 'Is an awfully long time.' _

'_Only if you make it so.' The boy shrugged, 'Please come away with me, tell me and the boys lots of stories, don't worry about growing up or getting a job or doing well in school Wendy. Just come away with me.' Her hand lifted towards him, her eyes meeting his, a thumping on the stairs went unheard by them as she took his hand and her pulled her out into the London night. She didn't know if she'd ever see her parents again but she found at that moment she didn't care. _

"Wendy!" She jerked out of her memories her mother stood in the doorway, "I've been calling you for five minutes." The woman bustled into the room pulling clothes from the wardrobe for her to start her day.

"Sorry mother." Wendy sat up and stretched. "What do I have today?" she got out of bed and began unbuttoning her cotton nightgown.

"At 8 o clock you have your classes," That was for her manners and her small talk, "Then at eleven o clock you, your Aunt, and I will head over to Kilven's for your ball gown fittings, and after that you have the tea party at Rachel Silver's, Karina and her mother will be picking you up for that." Wendy groaned, she hated Rachel Silver she was always stuck up and snobby and had only become friends with Wendy five years ago after the Darling had come into a fortune thanks to the Lost boys bringing home treasure.

"Don't make that face Wendy you'll get wrinkles." Mary admonished helping her daughter into her dress and stockings. "You'll need your coat dear, its snowing, first snow of the year.

_Her feet touched the fresh powder snow on the window sill; her brother's standing beside her looking into the night. "You saw that too didn't you?" Wendy asked excitedly "It was a flying boy!" _

"_Impossible. That is completely illogical." John said pushing his glasses up his nose. _

"_I saw it." Michael said his voice wavering slightly "It was really scary." _

"_It was a flying boy!" Wendy protested, "I know what I saw."_

"Wendy?" Wendy came back to reality. "Sorry." She apologized and her mother came forward pressing a hand to Wendy's forehead. "Well you haven't a temperature. Are you feeling alright dear? Your head is farther up in the clouds than usual."

"I'm fine, really." Wendy said pulling on the final touch for her outfit, a pair of pristine satin white gloves. She remembered Aunt Millicent telling her that a lady should never touch an object that is not in her home without gloves.

Mrs. Darling looked at her daughter for a moment before sighing "Alright, lets get some breakfast for you, the boys already left for school so the house is nice and quiet and you still have fifteen minutes until your Aunt arrives for your lessons."

Wendy nodded and snagged 'Gone with the Wind' off her dresser.

* * *

**Here is the start to my Peter Pan Fanfiction. **

**Reminder: This is based on the 2003 film version, so it is not completely with the book or the Disney version. **

**Please Read and Review!**

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	2. Chapter 2

"Now repeat after me: _Heureux de vous renconctrer monsieur_!" Millicent had a small black book in her hand and was reading French from it.

Wendy repeated it shakily. "No, no, no Wendy you must reply with confidence! The French will not take you seriously if you are not confident. Again."

Finally fifteen minutes later Aunt Millicent set her free fifteen minutes before eleven. "Now off to Kilven's!" She sang as they stepped up into the coach, Wendy and her mother on one side Millicent on the other.

"I'm sure Lucas will have created a lovely design for you, this is after all your final fitting before the ball this weekend." Aunt Millicent gushed; Lucas Kilven was the designer and owner of Kilven's he was a handsome man in his late twenties and was always busy with something or another.

They pulled up in front of the store and stepped from the carriage, Wendy linked her arm through her mothers. Mr. Kilven came out to meet them, his pale blond hair tied back in a long ponytail.

"_Bonjour! Bonjour_!" He said in his thick French accent. "_Madame_ Darling," He kissed her hand, "And _Madame_ Darling!" he kissed Aunt Millicent's hand. "And of course _Mademoiselle_ Wendy, _bonjour_! Looking as lovely as ever!" Wendy smiled at his overzealous manner.

"_Bonjour Monsieur Kelvin, comment voulez-vous faire_?" She asked, adding a little confidence.

"Your French is improving _Mon cher_, and how many times have I told you to call me Luca?" He raised a finely shaped brow.

"Too many." She smiled brightly and he led them into the store. Shop workers bustled about carrying dresses or packages, towing their clients behind them.

"Come we will go to the back room, your dress is finished and it looks magnificent if you ask me!" they made their way to the back of the store where a pedestal and a few chairs sat, a long mirror stood in front of the pedestal. "Come _Mon_ _cher_, my shop assistants will help you dress." Lucas said and two stone faced shop assistants bustled her into the changing room. They had her changed into a lovely satin blue dress in two minutes flat and were finishing lacing up the ribbon that trailed down her back. They pushed a pair of blue heels onto her feet, pinned her hair just so and pushed her out into the area where everyone was waiting.

Aunt Millicent crowed about how beautiful she was, shouting about how Wendy's birthday party would be the party of the year. Mrs. Darling smiled at her daughter and told her how beautiful she looked. Lucas on the other hand smugly smiled and twirled her in one deliberate spin. "Perfect. I knew my design would make you look even lovelier than you already are."

"Thank you _monsieur_." She turned to look in the mirror and gasped with delight, the dress was a cornflower blue set over a white gown, it accentuated her curves and the a-line set off her long neck. The dress was almost the same color as her eyes and her hair was draped around her face, framing its heart shape.

"It's beautiful _monsieur_." Wendy looked at herself in the mirror, turning this way and that. _I finally look like an adult_. She thought, _what would Peter say_? At that thought Wendy jerked back a little bit stepping backwards off the pedestal and falling backwards.

"Wendy!" Millicent screeched and Mrs. Darling began to stand, but Lucas caught her, righting her and smiling. "We must be careful, no? We cannot harm the dress or the lady before her big day." He held her hand for a moment before turning away. Wendy was fighting an inner battle with herself.

I had just gotten so good at not thinking about him, why is it that today that's all I seem to think about? She shook the thoughts away and headed back into the dressing room to undress.

One of the assistants brought a pretty pink dress into the room. "What's that for?" she asked fingering the soft silk.

"Ms. Millicent says you must have a dress for this afternoon's tea party." She replied.

What's wrong with the one I was wearing? Wendy grumbled in her mind as they slipped the dress over her head, it came to her knees and white stockings were put underneath. It had long sleeves and white ribbons flowing down from the turtle necked collar. They pinned her hair in a different style and plopped a white hat on her head and pushed her into the room.

"Splendid. That will do marvelously Lucas; we look forward to seeing you at the party this Saturday. Now come along Mary, Wendy will be late for her tea party."

Lucas ambled up to Wendy and kissed her hand, "Until Saturday then _Mademoiselle_."

She smiled at him before hurrying off after her Mother and Aunt.

Once they were back inside of the carriage Millicent chattered incessantly. "Lucas would make a suitable husband for Wendy, and I know he is enchanted with her." That made Wendy blush, Mrs. Darling gently took her hand. "Wendy will make the right decision on who she wishes to marry. She is an adult now."

_An adult_, Wendy thought staring out the window.

"_Love?" Wendy asked as they twirled through the air, she had asked him what his real feelings were and she could tell he was becoming agitated. _

"_Love?" He questioned back. _

"_Love." She affirmed searching his face. _

"_I have never heard of it." He seemed bewildered. _

"_I think you have, Peter, I daresay you've felt it yourself, for something…" her cheeks reddened slightly "or someone." _

_He leaned inwards, his warm breath tickling his ear and he whispered "Never." He leaned back "Even the sound of it offends me." _

_She reached for his face, "Peter—" He jerked backwards his face contorting. _

"_Why do you spoil everything?" he raged at her "We have fun don't we? I taught you to fight and fly! What more could there be?" _

_The breath flew from her lungs and she sighed "There is so much more." _

"_What? What else is there?" He his eyes searching, she gripped his hand._

"_I don't know. I think it becomes clearer when you grow up."_

_He glared "Well I will not grow up. You cannot make me. I will banish you like Tinkerbell." _

_She gasped angrily "I will not be banished!" she shouted at him. _

"_Then go home!" they landed on the leafy forest floor "Go home and grow up. And take your feelings with you!" he shouted before flying off into the night. _

"_Peter! Peter, come back! Peter!" she called loudly before collapsing onto her knees in the dark forest, the presence of fairies that had been so strong only moments before was completely gone. _

"Wendy? We're here." Mrs. Darling shook her daughter worriedly; Wendy turned from the window a look of pain falling away from her face so quickly that Mrs. Darling questioned if it had ever been there in the first place. "Are you alright?" she placed a hand on her daughter's cheek.

"Yes mother I'm fine. Lets get to the party we're late." They stepped out into the cold afternoon, their heels crunching in the snow. A butler welcomed them at the door and they were ushered into a large formal dining room where a dozen teenage girls sat around tables chatting and a dozen older women sat off in the corner playing cards and having tea.

"Wendy is here!" they called smiling at her and waving. "Hello!" they waved and a seat to the left of the host was pulled out for her. Rachel Silver's smiled a welcome, "We'd thought you'd never come." She said taking a jab at Wendy's tardiness.

"My apologies my dress fitting took a little longer than we had intended." Wendy said using her proper 'lady talk' as her brothers called it.

"It's quite alright." Rachel sniffed. Rachel was two years older than Wendy and had married the year before to a man who owned many estates and was regarded as a Sir (She never let anyone forget it) Rachel had given birth to her first child—a boy only two months before and was rushing everyone else to get married.

Karina smiled apologetically at her from across the table. "I'm sorry we could pick you up after your dress fitting, Grandmother Winters was having some bone aches." Karina Winters had been Wendy's best friend since they were small and had been the one to notice the biggest change in Wendy after Wendy had returned. She was slender with long black hair that was plated and pinned as per usual. Her green eyes were as always gentle.

"It's alright Karina." Wendy smiled brightly and sipped her tea. Tea parties were usually always boring, filled with gossiping girls.

"How are the party preparations coming along, we all look forward to being in attendance this weekend." Rachel asked.

"They are coming along smoothly. Smoother than you'd think they would." The girls chattered for a moment about the party what colors they were planning to wear and what boys would be in attendance.

"Speaking of boys, Wendy how is your cousin Simon doing?" Laura Kingsley asked and that sent the girls into a fit of shrieks and giggled.

Wendy inwardly rolled her eyes, Slightly was the heartthrob bachelor from school. All the girls wanted to dance with him because he was a smooth gentleman.

"Yeah and what about her other brothers." More shrieks from some of the younger girls. John, Nibs, Tootles, Curly and the twins were just under Slightly in the popularity column. At the ages of sixteen, fifteen, fifteen, fourteen, and the twins were fourteen they were taking their school by storm.

"They are all doing very well; they will be at the party this weekend of course." Cue the shrieking.

"That will be just wonderful." Rachel said as if she didn't care, Wendy rolled her eyes again (was there a limit on how many times she could do that in an hour?) Rachel had her eyes on Slightly even though she was already married.

"Will your husband be in attendance?" Wendy asked.

Rachel's elegant veneer slid from her face, "Yes, yes he will." Then the veneer was back in place.

Oops, Wendy thought, _might not want to make her mad_.

"Enough of the party-talk lets move on to something else. Have you _seen _Jane Tollerly's hair? She cut it _all_ off!" Rachel sneered.

Wendy sighed and listened to the gossip, wishing she were at home. _Three days until the party_. She thought. _Three days_.

* * *

**Here is Chapter two! **

**I just love the thought of Wendy being stuck at this party listening to all of this gossip and wanting to rip her ears off... **

**The Party should start in the next chapter. **

**Hopefully (Ideally) this story should be about fifteen chapters. **

**Read & Review!**

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	3. Chapter 3

Wendy stood at the window, watching the sunset. She was in a room above the grand ballroom where in only fifteen minutes her seventeenth birthday party would begin. They had finished dressing and pinning her a few minutes ago and now she stood watching the stars come out.

Nana, her family's Nanny/Dog sat by a settee watching her with eyes that were more human than dog. Nana had watched over Wendy for seven years, ever since she was ten. And sometimes Wendy felt closer to the dog than anyone in her family.

"Wendy my dear!" Aunt Millicent sang as she sailed into the room, Mrs. Darling trailing after her smiling elegantly in her pink evening gown.

"Ah you look marvelous, like a rose that is about to bloom." Millicent said kissing both of Wendy's cheeks. "This will definitely be the party of the year I can feel it! Now we must get you to the grand staircase in the ballroom for your entrance oh me it will be just like Cinderella!" She then looked down at Nana who stood by Wendy's side.

"Oh—Oh my." Millicent said pressing a hand to her mouth. "What is this—this beast doing in the room? She'll get hair all over Wendy's gown she must be put out in the garden for the time being." Nana growled making Millicent squeak, she had always been skittish around Nana. Something about large ferocious beasts being bad influences on children.

"Calm down Millie," Mrs. Darling soothed, she shot Nana a pleading look, Nana huffed and made her way out the door and down to the large gardens below. "See? She's gone now." Mrs. Darling turned to her daughter, "You look so beautiful Wendy, you're no longer my baby anymore." She stepped forward to embrace her daughter "You are a confident woman who I couldn't be anymore proud of."

Wendy found her eyes watering she wiped at them and was promptly handed a handkerchief by her mother. "Are you ready?" Millicent said, Wendy nodded and Slightly stepped into the room, "Wendy you look gorgeous." He said grinning at her.

"Simon will be your escort." Millicent said sighing proudly. Wendy placed her hand in the crook of his arm and for the thousandth time she realized he was a full two heads taller than she now. "You've grown up Slightly." She said smiling.

"Why thank you Miss Wendy, growing up hasn't been that bad at all." He grinned down at her before leading her towards the grand staircase, Aunt Millicent and Mrs. Darling hurried ahead of them to be announced before Wendy.

"Are you nervous?" Slightly asked as they headed down the halls.

"Terrified. I feel like I'll fall at any second." She said honestly.

"Well I won't let you fall, you can count on it."

"Thanks Slightly." She squeezed his arm as they turned to the grand doors that led to the stairs.

The double doors opened and a man stood at the top of the stairs. "Lady Wendy Darling, escorted by Sir Simon Darling." Everyone turned to the stairs as they descended.

Wendy counted those steps, turning her head this way and that and smiling benevolently at the people below (Just as Aunt Millicent taught her.)

She heard a few collective gasps and once they were on the floor and the first strains of the waltz began. Slightly bowed to her and she curtsied to him before they came together in the first steps in the dance. About halfway through the dance other pairs joined in.

Over the next hour Wendy was passed around between her father, Lords, Dukes, wealthy business owners and even a Count. Finally to the end of the hour she twirled into the arms of Lucas. "Oh!" she said out of breath, he smiled.

"You look dazzling tonight." He spun her around the danced floor.

"Your dress does me well _Monsieur_." She stepped away from him and then back into the dance.

Their hands came together, her right and his left palms flat against one another as they did a half circle, "No my dress simply enhances the beauty that is naturally there." They turned and did another half circle before coming together again.

"You flatter me." She said smiling.

"Wendy," he said leading her off the dance floor, he looked into her eyes suddenly serious, his green on her blue. "I know I have been dress maker to you for the past several months but I fear I am enchanted with you." He licked his lips nervously "I have asked your parents for the opportunity to court you and they have agreed."

Wendy didn't know why, but she was angry at this. Angry that her parents didn't even ask her, angry that she wasn't allowed any freedom as an adult and that her parents would marry her off so quickly. _I should have never grown up_. She thought fiercely.

"Wendy?" Lucas looked her in the eyes. _Its not_ _that I don't like you_, she thought, _it's just… you're not really what I was looking for but of course I can't say that_. She shook her head; _Aunt Millicent would hang me if I did_.

She smiled weakly at him, "I'm feeling lightheaded Luca, do you think I could go outside?" she began to leave.

"Here I'll go with you." He said not getting the point. Wendy shot a desperate look at Karina who looked gorgeous in a golden evening gown; she nodded and headed over to them. "_Monsieur_, would you mind if I stole you from Wendy for a moment? I have been waiting for a dance from you all evening!"

Wendy managed to mouth a thank you at her before fleeing from the ballroom and out into the gardens to collect herself.

She made her way to the center of the gardens where a Gazebo sat, benches lining around the vine wrapped bars. She sat on one of them and a bark made her look up, Nana was loping towards her, brown eyes worried.

"Oh Nana." She said and the dog laid its head in her lap. "I don't want to get married yet. I want to dance and write and have adventures like I always thought I would!" she put her face in her hands.

Nana growled, "Nana what are you growling at?" she said looking up thinking maybe Aunt Millicent had come to find her.

But a light filled the garden and the sound of bells filled her ears. Only one thing Wendy knew of made that sound. "Tinkerbell!" she said in astonishment. The fairy floated in front of her makings ringing sounds.

Nana barked and ran off, "Oh Nana! Come back it's only Tink!" Tink flew forward and yanked on one of Wendy's pinned locks "Ow! What was that for Tink?" she rubbed her head. Tink was gesturing wildly at something. "You'll have to be more clear Tink you know I don't understand fairy-speak!" She could almost see the fairy roll her eyes.

The fairy circled in the air spreading fairy dust into words.

_**SOS PETER NEEDS HELP!**_

Filled the air in front of Wendy. "Peter is in trouble?" Wendy stood and Tink nodded erratically.

In that moment, away from the garden Nana ran into the hall barking and running towards the Darlings, people parted in surprise letting the dog through. The dog ran right for Mr. Darling who moaned "Not again!" as the dog tackled him.

The man lay sprawled onto the floor with the dog barking in his face. "What is it now Nana?" He asked and Nana whined. Mrs. Darling felt her gut drop she glanced around the room counting her children. She came up short "Wendy." She whispered and ran from the hall following a barking Nana; the pair was followed by Mr. Darling, their children, Slightly, and then Aunt Millicent leaving their guests standing silently in the hall, bewildered.

Meanwhile, Wendy was staring at Tink, "Why does he need me, I won't be of much help as you can see I'm a grown up now."

Tink scoffed at her like she was an idiot and muttered to herself in her squeaky fairy language.

"Fine if you're going to treat me like an idiot I might as well leave." Wendy turned and began to walk away, Tink groaned and yanked on another one of Wendy's locks. "Ouch hey!" she turned on her heel and glared at the fairy who had her hands clasped together and a desperate look on her face, Wendy didn't need to know the fairy language to know what Tink was saying. '_Please_'. Tink was desperate.

Wendy sighed, "Alright, I'll help." Tink yelled in delight and flew around her spreading her pixie dust on Wendy, Wendy's feet lifted off the ground her shoes falling from her feet and landing with a clatter on the granite patio. "Second star to the right," Wendy said, lifting her arms "and straight on till morning." She was lifted into the night and off to Neverland.

* * *

Her family arrived just one moment too late, they stood on the patio panting, but all that was left of Wendy were her blue shoes and a ring of golden dust. Snow began to fall. Mrs. Darling let out a wail "Not again… no not again." She collapsed inwardly and her husband caught her. The lost boys stepped close to the ring of pixie dust "D'you think it was Tink?" Nibs asked, they knelt and Slightly put two fingers in the ring of pixie dust "Aye." He said "We must collect the pixie dust." He pulled a leather purse from his jacket and emptied the coins, they carefully collected as much of the golden just as they could before the snow erased it from origin. "We must regroup and go to save our Wendy." Slightly said, in his mind he was raging, _Peter why do you want her now? She's grown up_. And as the snow fell Mrs. Darling's sobs filled the night.

* * *

**Here is the third chapter, I have to say I'm really liking this. This will be a fun story to finish. After this one I plan on finishing my Harry Potter story and then righting the second installment of my Little White Horse Trilogy. **

**Whew its going to be a busy year for me! **

**Anyways, Read and Review!**

**I also assure you that the next chapter will take you by complete surprise! Be prepared! **

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	4. Chapter 4

Wendy flew through the stars, following Tink's shining light that was zipping ahead. She had done this before of course but she had been holding onto Michael who was holding onto John who was holding onto Peter.

Tink buzzed by her face as if she was saying "Ready?"

Wendy nodded and Tink zipped forward followed by Wendy, they zipped into a space between two stars and were zipped into a wormhole, it was like she was being stretched and pulled and rolled around until the wormhole spit them out into the sunny realm of Neverland.

Neverland was just as she had left it, bright and sunny, with blue oceans and a large island covered in greenery. Wendy flew below the clouds and dazzled at the sight after five long years… and then the pixie dust ran out.

With a yelp she fell towards the ocean landing in it with a splash. Tink flew after her yanking on Wendy's hair futilely but had to let go before she touched the water. Wendy's heavy gowns dragged her beneath the water, the waves crashing over her head and pulling her down lower. Wendy opened her eyes and looked around, she had to get out of those gowns, she began to reach around and tug at the strings loosening the ribbons. Her breath came out of her mouth in bubbles and she began to thrash.

I can't die like this! Her eye sight was beginning to blur but a pair of hands reached down and plucked her from the ocean and into a pair of strong arms. Wendy's head lolled back and the world spun around her.

"Wendy—hey Wendy are you alright?" but the blackness closed in making those words sound far off.

When Wendy awoke she was lying in the sand, the warm sunlight beating down on her. She rolled over and coughed up water onto the sand by her head.

"You're awake then?" a slightly familiar voice said, Wendy sat up and looked at the person standing before her, he had sandy blond curls that stuck up in every direction he looked to be a bit taller than Slightly and broad shoulders that were brown from the sun.

They looked at each other for a moment. "Who are you?" they both said at the same time.

* * *

Tink smacked her forehead, "Tink, I thought I told you to bring me Wendy. This doesn't look like Wendy."

Wendy's mind clicked and she glared at him, "Well you don't look very much like Peter either." She retorted scrambling to her feet in her heavy ruined gown.

"You ungrateful boy!" she snapped at him, "You lying deceitful git! You said that you would come here my stories. Well guess what Peter, it's been five years! Five whole years and I haven't seen your face. And lets not forget the fact that you're grown up—you said you don't grow up in Neverland. Well I guess you lied about that too, you're just full of surprises." She ranted at him, letting out all of her pent up frustrations at him. When she finished her arms went limp at her sides and she turned and stomped away from him.

"Hey Wendy—" Peter said zipping into the air in front of her, "Wait up I need to talk to you."

"Not now Peter, I need a moment." She pushed away from him and stomped into the jungle and didn't stop until she came upon a lagoon, she sat pulling the pins from her hair and trying to control her temper.

* * *

**From the point of view of Peter Pan **

Peter was stumped. Why was she so angry with him, he never promised to go see her tell her stories—even though he loved to hear them—he wasn't entitled to go to London. But had it really been five years? It seemed much shorter.

Peter looked down in a puddle that had pooled in the sand; the strange face stared back at him. Peter never looked very closely in mirrors so he didn't notice face changing, he had noticed his body changing, he began getting taller and broader (He'd had to change his entryway into the secret hideout because he had gotten too big.) but it had never bothered Peter much he had been too busy having his daily duels with pirates and flying through the jungles of Neverland.

Then just yesterday he caught sight of himself in a mirror in Pixie Hollow. His face had changed drastically—he was growing up! And he didn't know why. He had sent Tink to find help and Tink had brought back Wendy. But not the same Wendy that he new, this Wendy was different. She was taller, with a longer face and sharp cheekbones, like Cinderella from her stories. Her hair was down past he waist and she was no longer straight up and down. She looked like the woman he had seen in her nursery five long years ago when he had shut the window.

Peter shot Tink a look, "D'you think she's still mad?"

Tink rolled her eyes, for once siding with Wendy. She chattered in her language, "_Of course she's angry you idiot. She's no longer a girl her feelings get hurt a lot more easily."_ The fairy's tirade went on until he shook his head.

"Alright Tink, I get it." Peter said loping off into the jungle to find Wendy, Tink zipping after him.

He found Wendy a few minutes later sitting by a lagoon, her ball gown fanning out around her and her eyes watching the water from the waterfall pound into the pool of water.

"Wendy?" he said quietly.

"Hmm?" she didn't look at her.

The words tumbled out "I'm sorry I never came to see you."

Wendy whipped around and they stared at each other in astonishment. Tink gaped at Peter.

_Did I just apologize? How odd I never apologize_.

"Peter? Are you feeling alright?" Wendy asked, standing and lifting a hand to his face, pressing her palm on his forehead. "You don't have a temperature."

"Uh. Fine, I'm fine." He said taking a step back; he was a full head taller than she now and had to look down at her.

"Well I accept your apology Peter." She said smiling for the first time since she got to Neverland. He smiled back and it was almost as if they were children again.

"I'll start a fire, you must be freezing." Peter said grabbing her hand.

"Wait, Peter. You go start the fire; I'm going to wash up."

"Wash up? What do you need to wash up for?" he said his face scrunching in confusion.

"Well I'm dirty and salty and—well it's a grown up thing Peter."

He looked disgusted. "Fine you wash up and I'll start the fire."

"Alright, but no peeking, wait for me to come to the fire."

He lifted an arm. _Why would I want to peek anyways? Girls are so weird. _

Tink slapped a hand to her forehead; _he's not getting it at all_. She thought.

Peter headed to a small clearing and began to start the fire. _What's so great about girl's privacy anyways? Peter thought, the Indians and Tink are like that too, they say a boy and girl bathing isn't proper. How confusing_. But as Peter thought more about it the more curious he got.

"Tink stay here." Peter said as he crept away from the fire, Tink yelped and zoomed forward pulling on his ears and cloths. "Quit it Tink!" Peter said pulling the fairy off of him and chucking her into the trees.

Night had fallen and the stars were out along with the full moon. Peter crept through the jungle pulling back the large leaved plants that surrounded the lagoon. The moon light pooled onto the water making it look like liquid silver and Wendy stood in the middle of the pool, her back to him, splashing water onto herself and singing a sweet tune.

Peter felt warm; he had never seen a girl naked before. He had seen the Mermaids but they had scales covering most of their bodies.

Peter stumbled back catching himself before he made too much noise. A feeling made his toes tingle slightly. _More feelings_? He thought to himself, _how many can there be_?

He made his way back to the fire were Tink sat on a rock with her chin propped in her hand. She looked up when he approached. _"Your face is red."_ She said raising her eyebrows.

"Why?" Peter said but the fairy just rolled her eyes. Peter sat next to her and poked the fire with a stick. He needed to stop growing up—and fast.

* * *

**Haha. Poor Peter has never felt these feelings about a girl before. **

**When Peter and Wendy were children it was all innocent, but I don't intend for this to be innocent at all. **

**The next chapter should be out tomorrow. **

**There will be some new characters introduced in the next chapter. **

**Read & Review please!**

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	5. Chapter 5

Simon Darling stood at the window of the Darling's Nursery, his assortment of cousins standing behind him. They handed him a few different things, a leather knapsack filled with salted meats and the like, a telescope, a crudely drawn map of Neverland (Like he didn't already know how to get around the island), a dagger and a few other knickknacks.

"Have you got everything Slightly?" Michael asked peering into his knapsack.

"Yes I believe I do." Slightly said slinging it over his shoulder.

"Alright. Find Wendy and get some more pixie dust. We'll be waiting for you here." John said as if he were delegating everything.

"I will find her." Slightly said, "You can count on it."

John nodded and they all waved to him. Nibs stepped forwards and poured the pixie dust out onto his hand. "Are you ready?" Slightly nodded.

"Alright, Godspeed Slightly." Nibs said and blew the pixie dust off of his palm and into Slightly's face. Slightly's feet immediately lifted from the floor and he grinned.

"Well I'm off, Operation rescue our Wendybird is a-go." He tipped his hat at them and zoomed out of the window, the boys crowded around the window and watched as Slightly disappeared from sight.

Slightly flew over chimneys and past Big Ben, "Second star to the right and straight on till morning." He chanted as he zoomed past the clouds and through the stars looking for one particular star. He zipped by planets and found the glowing star heading straight for it.

"Here we go!" he said and fell into the star, being spat out the other end in a spin. In the commotion his knapsack went flying away towards the island, he made to follow it but the Pixie dust ran out and he plummeted to the sea. He landed on the blue water with a great splash, struggling to get his bearings. He fought the water and in turn it filled his mouth and nose. He had begun to loose consciousness when a life preserver landed just above him; he grabbed it and was lifted out of the water coughing up all that he had swallowed.

He was heaved onto the deck of a boat, one that he had long forgotten.

"D'you think he's dead Cap'n?" a familiar voice quavered and Slightly looked up, his breath hitching in his throat.

"Does it _look_ like he's dead Smee?" Captain Hook hissed at his first mate who cringed.

"No Cap'n definitely not dead." The older man said.

"Well, well, well what have we here?" Hook said, sticking the cold metal of his hook underneath Slightly's chin lifting it so he could get a proper look.

"A prisoner Cap?" Smee said answering the Captain's rhetorical question.

"Yes Smee a prisoner." Hook said rolling his eyes. "Take him to the brig Smee. I don't know why he's here but it's probably something to do with Pan." Two brawny pirates came and yanked Slightly up by his armpits, he struggled.

"Unhand me I say! I am a lost boy!" he hollered at them.

Hook chuckled, "My good sir, you are definitely lost. But I am afraid you are no boy, to the brig with ye."

Hook turned to face the island. "What are you cooking up now Pan."

* * *

Wendy awoke curled up in a bed in the tree house. She sat up disoriented looking around groggily until the events of the previous night came back to her.

_I'm in Neverland again. Peters a grown up. He needs my help to reverse this. Oh my goodness_. She flopped down on the bed again.

"Wendy!" Peter called sliding down his slide with a rooster's crow.

"Good morning Peter." She said evenly sitting up again. "What are we doing today?"

"Well we are going to go consult the Wise Woman at the Indian's camp. But first I want you to meet these three." He stepped aside and three boys from the ages of twelve to two stood before her.

Wendy stood, "Peter?"

"These are the Lost Boys Wendy—well the new ones at least."

He pointed at the eldest, an Asian looking boy with spiked hair and a brown feather dangling from his ear. He looked very serious and very severe. Wendy hadn't seen very many Asian people in her life—her father had invited one over for dinner once but he was an adult with odd facial hair and only talked of numbers. "This is Hawk—he's my second in command." Hawk fisted his chest and stepped back.

The next boy had bright red hair and a smattering of freckled across his face, he was dressed in an outfit of leaves and had a fox skin slung over his shoulders. "This is Fox, a great tracker—but a chronic liar." Fox grinned mischievously at her and bowed.

Finally he pointed at the smallest of them; this one was practically a baby. He had white blond ringlets and pale skin with rosy cheeks. His bright blue eyes made him look like a cherub that Wendy had seen painted on the ceiling of a grand dining room once at some Lord's or another's. She knelt down in front of the child. "And who are you?" she said gently.

"I'm Mo." The little boy said proudly with a lisp that Wendy had seen Michael use often when he was a toddler.

"It's very nice to meet you Mo, and how old are you?" the little boy held out two fingers and she chuckled. She stood and turned to Peter. "Peter may I speak with you?" they headed for a corner of the room, she glared at him. "Peter Pan. I am ashamed of you how could you let a boy that is barely out of the crib run about in the forest with you?" he held his hands up. "Wendy listen, they actually all come to me like that or a little older."

She stopped glaring at him, "What?" she asked confused.

"Well they have to fall out of their prams. Who in their right mind over the age of seven sleeps in a pram?"

Wendy was taken aback "So you mean—all of the lost boys before they started out at toddlers?"

"More or less. Slightly came here when he was eight, but that's about it." Wendy sat down in a chair hard.

"But doesn't that mean they age?" she asked.

"Yes, pretty much everything on this island ages—well aside from me and Hook of course."

"Why don't you age?" Wendy asked "Err I mean why _didn't_ you age." She corrected herself. He shrugged.

"Dunno. Well anyways lets eat some food I'm famished and we still have to go see the Wise Woman today." After that Wendy set about making breakfast, everything was where she had left it and there were two large eggs sitting near the fire with three different sized pans hanging above her head.

"Erm. Peter?" she called "Where are these eggs from—or what."

"They are Ostrich eggs; it's a big bird I'll show you later." Peter called; he was sword fighting with Fox on the table.

_Ostrich eggs_? She thought, _what's an Ostrich_? She cracked one open and the egg yolk looked normal enough.

They all sat at the table, Mo sat next to her and she tucked a piece of cloth into his collar as a sort of bib. Peter rose and eyebrow at her but she gave him a steely stare and the other three boys followed in suit and tucked pieces of cloth into their own collars.

After they had finished eating Fox and Hawk chattered at each other (well it was more of Fox chattering at Hawk but nonetheless) and the two went off to explore. Mo didn't have any interest in following. "Why doesn't he gallivant like the other boys?" Wendy asked as she sat with Mo on her lap.

"When they are that young they usually stay in the tree house he was here last night but he was sleeping." Peter shrugged, this surprised Wendy. _Had Peter always acted this grown up_? She thought to herself then shook her head _Peter probably doesn't think of it as a grown up thing_.

"Well we should get going. I need to stop growing up and I think the Wise Woman can help me."

Wendy nodded, and stood placing Mo on the floor. Mo clung to her skirt (thankfully it was no longer the ball gown she had on the night before. When they came back a white nightgown was waiting for her, Peter had said the fairies left it for her.) And gave her big teary eyes.

She picked him up again and rocked him, "Shall we take him with us?" she asked Peter.

He nodded, "But he better not get in the way or I'll toss him to the Mermaids."

Wendy gaped at him, "Kidding." Peter said holding his hands up.

They climbed the steps and stepped into the jungle, Peter grabbed her hand and they set off for the Indian Campgrounds, to find out if Peter could really become a boy again.

* * *

**Well! I feel bad for Slightly and we won't see him for a few chapters but he's going to try to be Wendy's night in shining armor (And fail horribly.) **

**Anyways~ **

**Hawk, Fox, and Mo are the new Lost Boys. Hawk is modeled after Rufio (A young Dante Basco) from the Movie Hook. **

**They each were named for something (Except Mo. I just liked his name) and wear that something on their person. **

**Hawk has a hawk feather dangling from his ear. **

**Fox has a red fox pelt mantle.**

**Mo has a white blanket made of white rabbit's fur that he carries with him everywhere- also a lucky rabbit's foot dangling from his belt. **

**They are very interesting characters to me. *shrug***

**Anyways I will be gone for a couple of days starting tomorrow so maybe one or two updates tomorrow and then nothing for a few days (sorry!) **

**Also: DISCLAIMER | I own none of the original Peter Pan characters and only own the ones I made up, thank you. **

**Please:**

**Read & Review!**

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	6. Chapter 6

Wendy was having trouble keeping up with Peter. Her feet ached and climbing over rocks was not how she had foreseen her day. "Peter? Do you think you could slow down a bit? My feet aren't as tough as they used to be." Peter set Mo down on top of to rock they were climbing and zoomed down to meet her.

"Why don't you just fly to the top Wendy?" he asked but grabbed her outstretched hands and flew into the air with her setting her daintily on top of the rock next to Mo.

"I'm afraid I no longer know how Peter." She picked Mo up who clung around her neck and followed Peter across the plateau that they had come upon.

"What do you mean you don't know how all you need is happy thoughts—"

"And they lift you into the air, I know Peter." Wendy finished for him, "are we nearly there?"

"Yep just through these trees." He led them through the trees and right into the Indian Camp; the Indians all looked up from what they were doing and then went back to work. They were all used to Peter coming and going.

"Peter!" a woman tackled Peter in a hug and smiled, she looked slightly familiar.

"Ah, Tigerlilly so good to see you." Peter said, Wendy's jaw dropped, this was Tigerlilly?

Her hair was undone from the two braid it had been last time she had seen Wendy and her chubby cheeks were gone. She wore a brown dress that showed off her… assets and a green handprint was placed on her lower jaw. A headband complete with a feather sticking from it completed the look.

"Wendy," Tigerlilly said smiling kindly at her… Wendy really wanted to stick her tongue out like a child at her but restrained herself, just barely.

"Hello Tigerlilly, my you've grown." Wendy said moving Mo onto her other hip and plastering a smile on her face.

"As have you Wendy, I just reached my sixteenth year." Wendy blew her bangs out of her face and just nodded.

"Come my Grandmother has been expecting you." Tigerlilly ushered them to the biggest teepee and pulled the flap aside, a woman came over and held her arms out to Wendy expectantly.

"Can't he come inside with us?" Wendy asked, Tigerlilly shook her head, "Grandmother specifically said only you two were to be permitted in." Wendy grudgingly handed the little boy over to the woman and followed Peter inside the tent.

Astegeya the Wise Woman sat around a small fire, the woman was old and wizened with a large feather headdress resting on her head. Her clothing was a simple beaded animal skin dress and pants and her old wrinkled hands swirled over the fire bending the smoke, her eyes closed in concentration.

"Astegeya?" Peter asked tentatively sitting cross legged on the dirt floor across from the woman and pulling Wendy down next to him. The old woman's eyes flicked open revealing her black as night eyes that had a sparkle that belonged to a young woman.

"Peter Pan." She nodded her head at him and then to Wendy "Wendy Darling."

"Wise Woman, do you know why I am here?"

"Of course child."

"Do you know how and why I am growing up?"

The woman nodded again, "Of course I do."

She paused, "The kiss bound you two together, and when Wendy ages so do you."

"The _kiss_ did?" Peter asked incredulously, "That silly thing?" Wendy's chest stung _that silly thing_? Wendy looked at her hands.

"Do not make light of a kiss, it is a powerful thing. More powerful than you can imagine, boy!" Astegeya snapped.

Peter went quiet; the woman chanted something over the fire and sprinkled some salt into it turning the fire purple. Her eyes snapped open. "I see." She murmured turning around and rummaging in a small deer skin crate that sat against a wall. Finally she turned and flipped through the book.

"This book came to me when I was a young woman it has much powerful magic." She found the page she was looking for and ripped it out. "Use this wisely; you are able to find everything you need in Neverland." Peter grasped the page in his dirty hands.

"A wish from the heart?" Peter raised an eyebrow "Will this work?"

"Would I hand it to you if it didn't?" the woman sniffed annoyed at Peter's questions. "Now go on, read it aloud."

Peter looked down at the words and began to read:

"_A wish from the heart, _

_To get what you seek you will need three things:_

_First you need the dead king's crown, follow the crossed swords all the way down. Once you are below you must choose the right one or else the room will fall around you and that's no fun._

_Next you need a crystal necklace in the shape of a shell; you can find this in the cove where the fish people play. But be vigilant and careful or they'll take you away._

_Finally you need the ring of seasons, look to the winged ones for they know the key. The ring has gone missing but this they have foreseen. _

_When you have all three items put them together, then you may have your wish now and forever." _

Peter finished looking up at Astegeya, she flipped a hand at him, "Now go Peter find your items, but know this—something is far more important than staying young forever?"

"What could be better than never growing up?" Peter chuckled at the old woman.

"That is for me to know and you to find out." The woman rolled her eyes and shooed them out of the tent.

Mo ran to Wendy once they stepped out of the tent and she picked him up placing him on her hip and turning to Peter. "Do you know what any of these mean?"

He nodded, "The dead kings crown is at the Black Castle, the Seashell necklace is somewhere in mermaid cove. I don't know where the ring is but we do know that the fairies know where it is." Wendy was surprised; Peter was smart and clever when he wanted to be.

"Wendy, you take mermaid cove, I'll take the Black Castle just in case Hook decides to make an appearance." He began to float up into the air.

"Peter wait! Hook is back? Peter! How am I supposed to get the necklace from the mermaids they are positively horrid! Peter!" Wendy yelled to his back which was quickly zooming off. She stomped a foot and Tigerlilly came over to her, "I could take you to the mermaid cove. We even have a special plant that allows you to breathe underwater for a time…"

Wendy smiled weakly at the girl, "Yes I would like that thank you." Mo squirmed in her arms and she set him on the ground. He grinned up at her with his bright blue eyes, "What am I going to do about you?"

"We can take him with us?" Fox and Hawk strode through the trees they were being led by a little girl who looked like Tigerlilly.

"I had them called in case you need their help." Tigerlilly explained "That little girl is my little sister Littlebranch. She guides most travelers here." Wendy waved to the little girl who nodded.

Fox picked up Mo, "So what can we do for you Miss Wendy?"

Wendy thought for a moment, "Two things, one I need your knife." Fox went for his knife but Hawk held an arm out in front of him pulling out his own knife and handing it to Wendy, it had a wicked looking blade and would do a lot of damage.

"Thank you, next you two should drop Mo off at the tree house and go help Peter just in case Hook and his goons decide to show up."

"But isn't it dangerous venturing into the cove by yourself?" Tigerlilly asked scrunching her eyebrows.

"Yes but Peter is reckless and needs backup and quite frankly its easier if I'm alone, I won't have to worry about anyone." She shrugged.

Fox gave a quick nod and Hawk stood resolutely behind him. "Alright but if you're not back by sunup tomorrow we're going to come hollering through the trees like maniacs." Fox said and she could tell he was telling the truth.

She waved goodbye to them as they headed into the trees, Mo waving a chubby hand at her from over Hawk's shoulder.

"Are you ready?" Tigerlilly "We still have several hours of daylight left we can be there in an hour." She grabbed a large bow and smiled. "Shall we?" and they headed to the opposite side of the camp disappearing into the trees.

* * *

**This chapter is shorter than I'd like it to be, the next chapter will feature a heart to heart between Tigerlilly and Wendy and Slightly! **

**For those of you who asked if Peter and Slightly will have a confrontation... I wonder ;) **

**I absolutely adore Mo. Like I love him he is just so squishable in my head! Hawk is great too... not so much Fox but he is fine. **

**Tigerlilly is sixteen in this version (Around the same age as John & Slightly) **

**Littlebranch is a mini Tigerlilly and she is nine. **

**Astegeya is the old woman who fixed Michael's teddy bear in the movie. **

**Anyways:**

**Read & Review!**

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	7. Chapter 7

Tigerlilly cut through the vines with her large knife (a machete she called it) and Wendy followed. They were silent for the first hour of the trip… the only sound was the rhythmic thwacking and the cawing of random birds in the forest.

Finally they stopped for a break; Wendy sat on a rock next to the girl drinking the icy water from the animal skin. "So…" Tigerlilly said, "You are Peter are lovers—yes?" Wendy coughed on the water and looked at the girl, "Of course not! I thought you two were…close." She couldn't bring herself to say it.

Tigerlilly tilted her head to the side, "Lovers? Nonesense!" she said laughing loudly, the sound filled the unnaturally quiet jungle, "Even if I did feel that way about Peter—which I most certainly do not—I am married." She smiled.

Wendy did a double take, "You're married? But you're so young still!" Wendy thought back to her parents and Lucas asking to court her—well informing her that he would court her.

"I am of child bearing age—it is not so young." Tigerlilly said furrowing her brows at the girl.

Wendy was quiet for a moment, "What is your husband like?"

"His name is Cheveyo, he was the strongest warrior in our tribe, and in fact he will be the next Chieftan after my father steps down." Tigerlilly said proudly.

"But… is he kind? Does he make your heart beat faster? Do you love him?" Wendy thought of all the hopeless romantic things she had read in her books over the years.

Tigerlilly thought for a moment, "He is kind… my heart I believe stays at a normal pace… and do I love him?" She crunched her brows together and turned to the girl, "I do not know. I'm sure I can grow to love him." She said confidently.

Wendy sighed more confused then ever. "Why do you ask?" Tigerlilly questioned.

"Well… my parents want me to do something similar but I…"

"You love another." Tigerlilly said sagely.

"No! Well… maybe… I'm not so sure anymore." Wendy folded her arms about herself and rubbed her shoulder.

"It is Peter, right?" The girl stopped and pulled Wendy to the jungle floor with her.

"Well yes… I thought when I got her and he was all grown up that maybe…" Wendy tucked a brown lock behind her ear, "But I was wrong. He's still a child inside and he even wants to be changed back into a child."

"And you are helping him." Tigerlilly stated.

"Yes of course I am! What kind of person would I be if I just left without doing anything? Plus it's my fault he's growing up anyways." Wendy's shoulders slumped, just because I kissed him.

Tigerlilly considered this, "My grandmother always says there is a time for everything. No one person can ever be frozen forever—it defies nature." Wendy looked at Tigerlilly.

"Is that why you all age but Peter doesn't?"

Tigerlilly nodded, "We choose to age—even though we live on this island we know we must keep moving. I am the fifth generation of our tribe on this island."

"How did you come to be here in the first place—I mean my father tells me of the natives that live in America."

"That was our original home. My grandmother's grandmother came here as an young woman after the conquistadors invaded her home. She says that her grandmother's chief was facing being captured by those men and a fairy took pity on him and spirited him and his tribe away to Neverland. Where the Fairy Queen struck a deal with him, since our people are so in tune with the nature around us she told us as long as we kept in touch with that bond we would be welcome in Neverland. And here we have lived in harmony with the fairies ever since." The girl shrugged getting up and pulling Wendy with her.

"Let's keep going." Tigerlilly said and they headed on.

As they walked Wendy thought about all of the things that she had heard, how maybe she could grow to love Lucas as Tigerlilly was growing to love hers. Then she shook that thought, _that only works if you're not in love with someone else_, Wendy thought wryly. But what about helping Peter become young again? What was she to do about that? It was hurting her but helping him, could she hurt herself and keep hurting herself so he could be happy. _Everything is so twisted now_.

"We are here." Tigerlilly said quietly.

Wendy snapped away from her thoughts, gazing out into the trees, "I don't see it."

"It's just through the trees, we do not go near the cove it is dangerous. I'm sorry." She put a few leaves in Wendy's hand, closing her fingers over them. "These leaves will allow to breathe underwater. I know you must find the Queen who is not likely to be above water…" the girl paused, lurching forward and hugging Wendy hard, "Stay safe Wendy Darling." She said and began to walk away, Wendy watched her until she disappeared. She was touched that she and the girl had bonded. _I hope I don't die so I can talk to her again_. Wendy thought morbidly, making her way through the trees to the cove.

* * *

"Wake up ye swine!" a bucket of water was thrown over a sleeping slightly who jerked awake in surprise. "If yer going to be here ye might as well swab the decks." Slightly got up groggily, how long had he been asleep? He rubbed his eyes and began swabbing the decks, the sun was high in the sky so that meant it was about one fifteen (Spring didn't come till about twelve.) everyone seemed to be below decks or sleeping on top of the deck. The guard who was watching him sat on a stool against the mast, already nodding off. Slightly's plan began to form.

After twenty minutes the guard finally nodded off completely and began to snore. Slightly mopped his way over to the edge of the boat and eyed the island—it was about a ten meter swim. He could do it—he was strong.

With a final glance behind him Slightly dropped his mop, grabbed the edge of the ship and launched himself off the boat and into the water. He had swum about six meter when shouts from the boat began. Gun shots fired behind him and he dipped underneath the water watching the bullets whiz past him in the water. He kept swimming, his lungs burned and his legs ached and finally he made it to the shore. By that time the gun shots had stopped, but he didn't he ran for the cover of the jungle and didn't stop until he was clear away from the ocean. He bent over himself, placing his hands on his knees and gasping for air.

"Who are you?" a familiar voice said. Peter stood before him, fists planted on his hips as per usual—looking older but still Peter. Tink buzzed by his shoulder.

Slightly jolted at Peter socking him in the face, "You precarious asshole!"

Peter held his cheek in surprise. "Hey! Why did you do that? I don't even know you."

"Then let me jog your memory. Slightly. Slightly Darling you selfish bastard! And I'm her to get Wendy who you decided to spirit away on HER BIRTHDAY. You do realize she is not a young girl anymore—she's a woman now. She has no business being in Neverland. And another thing—she was FINALLY moving on from being hung up over the likes of you and what do you do? You kidnap her! Of all the low…" he trailed off looking around Peter, "Speaking of her… where _is_ Wendy?"

Peter's eyebrows raised, unfazed by Slightly's tirade. "She is probably at Mermaid Cove by now. She is retrieving a necklace I need for a spell."

Slightly gaped, "Are we talking about the same Mermaid cove with the vicious mermaids that will drown you without second thought?"

"Yep!"

"HOW COULD YOU SEND HER THERE?! She could drown! Or die! She's just a girl how is she supposed to go and retrieve that thing from those life sucking harpies?!" Slightly looked like he wanted to punch Peter again.

Peter held his hands up, "I need it to become a boy again—if you haven't noticed I'm the same age as Wendy now."

Slightly looked at Peter clearly for the first time, noticing how tall he had become and how his features had fleshed out and his shoulders widened.

"Anyways, Wendy is stronger than you think and probably way more clever you never give her any credit do you? She's not some bauble you know." Peter glared at the teenager.

"Well she shouldn't have even been dragged into this in the first place, now I'm going to go find her before she gets herself killed for your ass!"

Slightly turned and ran in the other direction.

Peter called, "Mermaid cove is the other way." Slightly stopped and turned, his face red and ran past Peter glaring at him as he went.

* * *

**Sorry for the lack of updates-I just started school! **

**So to the person who asked if there would be a Peter/Slightly confrontation... does that answer your question? ;3 and there will be much more where that came from. **

**Tigerlilly/Wendy friendship, I think me like. **

**Any requests on what you want to happen maybe? **

**Please Read & Review? **

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	8. Chapter 8

Wendy made her way down the sloped hill, gnawing on some of the leaves that Tigerlilly had handed her. They tasted almost like very salty chocolate and left a sweet aftertaste in her mouth.

She pulled some branches out of her way glancing down at the inky black waters that belonged inside of the cove. There always seemed to be a black cloud hanging over the cove and she had noticed the last time that she could see the the line where the dark waters end and the blue waters of Neverland began. Wendy swallowed the leaves as Tigerlilly had instructed and edged closer to the water, pressing her fingers to the smooth surface.

Two heads slid above the water inches from her hand which Wendy drew back quickly. Two beautiful mermaids stared at her, their tilted, black eyes boring into her urging her to speak.

"I-I come looking for an object and I wish to enter your waters to look."

The mermaid to the left with dingy red hair tilted her head and spoke in stilted English "What do you seek?"

Wendy gulped, "I wish to look for the Crystal Shell necklace." She replied.

The two mermaids hissed violently dipping back under the water their tails flailing about in the air as they disappeared under the inky black surface.

"Well," Wendy huffed to herself "No one ever said this would be easy." She stood, plugged her nose and jumped into the black water feeling its icy coldness envelope her as she sank below the surface.

She opened her eyes and drew in a gasping breath as if she was breathing air. "How curious." She said to nothing in particular, looking around. She had expected beneath the waters to be pitch black underneath to the point where she wouldn't have been able to see, but instead everything seemed to be grayscale. Even her skin was gray and the hair that floated about her like seaweed was a dark gray.

Mermaids swam about beneath the surface doing menial jobs and completely ignoring Wendy about a thousand feet below the surface sat a small palace, with field of seaweed all around it placed in neat lines and being tended by Mermaids. Wendy tipped herself downwards and swam for the palace—if anyone knew where that necklace would be it would be the King of the mermaids (was there even a king? Was it a Queen instead? Did they even have some form of monarchy?). The questions rattled around inside of her head as she made her fifteen minute swim to the sea floor where the palace sat, swimming right up to the palace doors. Two mermaids clad in armor stood guard, opening the doors for her when she swam passed. _They must've been expecting me_, Wendy thought nervously. She had swam into a small room with a pair of doors in front of her, the doors closed behind her and something sealed itself, she heard a hissing sound and suddenly she was standing dripping in the small room that only a minute ago had been filled with water.

"Peculiar." Wendy muttered to herself beginning to ring her hair out but a mighty gust of warm air batter at Wendy from all sides drying her in a matter of seconds. "How convenient." She said as the doors in front of her opened and a half naked woman stepped into the room with a professional smile.

"Hello, we have been expecting you—come, come she is waiting for you." The woman said ushering Wendy into the hall.

"B-but wait! You're a mermaid right? So how do you have legs—and two of them?!" Wendy fought to catch up with the woman's long strides.

The woman shrugged, "When we dry out our tail become legs, it's very uncomfortable and most of us can barely stand it but she prefers it." The woman shrugged. Wendy crunched her face in confusion as the woman led her to a great throne room, where nothing but a grand chair sat. Behind that chair were four heavily armed mermaids who stood on their own two feet looking a little parched.

In the chair itself sat a woman draped in silks, her shining black hair tumbled down her shoulders and off the side of the chair touching the marble floor. She had pale, dead looking skin and even deader looking black eyes, around her neck was a necklace, clear as glass and shaped into a curved seashell.

_Oh no_, Wendy thought, _please don't let that be what I'm looking for_.

The woman looked at Wendy with no expression, "So this is the girl then?" she asked in a monotone voice.

"Yes my lady." The woman next to Wendy said with a bow, beginning to look a little wobbly on her feet.

"Very good Lisandra, you may leave." Lisandra bowed out the door which shut with a loud thud behind Wendy.

The woman turned back to Wendy, "So you are the girl who has been asking about the Crystal shell necklace." She fingered the clear necklace around her neck and leaned forward in her chair, "Why?"

"W-well," Wendy began "I need it to help my friend."

"Your friend?" she replied tonelessly.

"Yes," Wendy said more firmly "I need to borrow your necklace to save my friend, Peter Pan."

The queen stared at Wendy for a moment before breaking into a loud grating laughter, "Peter Pan? Peter Pan accepting the help of a _girl_?" she kept laughing her emotionless laughter, Wendy's cheeks burned red.

"Yes, and I implore you your majesty please allow me to borrow the amulet and I will see that it returns to you quickly." Wendy said, going for the more diplomatic approach.

The Queen's maniacal laughter stopped cold and she glared at Wendy. "You? You implore me?" the alien quality that had possessed the Queen had drained from her eyes replaced by a terrifying anger.

"You pathetic child. This necklace never leaves my neck it gives me the power to rule over my domain." The Queen sounded cold and dangerous causing shivers to run down Wendy's arms and legs. The Queen lifted her hand as if she wanted it to be kissed and a whirl of water materialized in the air barreling towards Wendy and hitting her like it was a brick wall. She flew through the air and hit one of the shiny marble walls, sliding down it in a daze.

"Get up." The Queen snapped but Wendy lay against the wall her head ringing, "I said get up!" she shrieked and Wendy got to her feet unsteadily, the Queen crooked a finger at her "Come here." She crooned and Wendy trudged forward until she was a few inches away from the throne her hair tripping and her head buzzing from the impact.

"Now—what was it you wanted to ask me dear?" she said sweetly though her eyes held no human qualities, no warmth.

Wendy straightened, "Nothing you evil witch." She said firmly and before the Queen could react she reached forward and yanked the necklace from the Queen's neck, oddly enough the chain didn't break it just slipped away from the Queen's neck like liquid silver and hung in her hand. The necklace was warm and it pulsed slightly in her hand.

The Queen shrieked and Wendy turned on her heel and began to run—luckily enough the guards were not stable on their human legs and could not run very fast. She quickly out ran them running up the first flight of steps she came to running up the stairs, she came to a hall that was long lined with columns and many doors.

"Oh bollocks." She said sounding like one of the course boys from her primary school. She walked down the hallway looking left and right.

"This way!" a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her through one of the doors; Wendy kicked and punched at her assailant. "Hey—will you cut that out?" a very feminine voice said.

Wendy stopped huffing and puffing and pushed her hair out of her face. A girl stood before her, she looked about Wendy's age or maybe a little older her hair was the most brilliant shade of orange and it hung about her waist, she was obviously a mermaid because of her pale skin but her eyes instead of being tilted were large and blue and held a human quality to them. She seemed more natural on her feet than all the others and had a more easy posture.

"W-who are you?" Wendy asked warily slipping the necklace around her own neck, the pulsing beginning to beat in time with her own heart.

"I'm Princess Elise." The girl said tugging nervously on her orange locks.

"So _you're_ that woman daughter?" Wendy said taking a few steps back from the girl.

"Oh wait," the girl said "I'm not—well I am but she's not my mother anymore." Elise crossed her arms about herself as if she was hugging herself, "She hasn't been my mother since my father died." Elise crossed the room sitting on the small bed.

"Your father?" Wendy came and sat next to the girl, she didn't feel any threat from her.

"My father was a human man, he met my mother when he fell through the void between Neverland and the real world, my mother had just become Queen and back then there were dances every night and everyone was so lively—or so I've heard. The reason the palace is dry like this is so my father could live down here. But he got sick a year or two after I was born and he died when I was six. After that there was no more parties—no more fun my mother was gone and was replaced by this—this evil thing." Elise's fists clenched "My mother died with him that day."

"Elise?" Wendy said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Do you suppose it was bad that I took the necklace?" Wendy thought about how the necklace had aligned itself with her heartbeat.

Elise pursed her lips, "The necklace aligns itself with the wearer—its basically the crown jewel of our kingdom the mermaid who wears it becomes the ruler, it is dangerous Wendy you must not listen to it's evil whispers as my mother has." Elise said grabbing both of Wendy's hands into her own.

"I won't." Wendy stammered, in the hallway the voices of the guards could be heard.

Elise paled even further, "Come quickly we must leave."

"But how? And what do you mean we?"

Elise's hands went to her dress unbuttoning it and pulling it from her body, her breasts were wrapped in a silk scarf and she wore no bottoms, "I mean we because you have no chance of getting to the surface without flippers and it seems like I'm the only one who is willing to help you." She grabbed Wendy's hands again leading her to the window and shoving her through it, it was like passing through a bubble, it stretched and stretched until she popped through it out into the water, she found she could still breathe just fine thanks to the plant she had eaten. Elise popped out of the window into the water next to her; her legs had magically become a long red tail that swished through the water.

Elise grabbed her hand and began swimming full force to the surface, "Come one Wendy we need to get to the surface." The water surged around them as they swam away from the palace upward, after fifteen minutes she could see the surface.

Suddenly a guard popped out of no where yanking the two apart, guards swarmed them from all sides and Elise was dragged away, she screamed and flapped at them with her tail calling for Wendy who was being held by her arms.

"No!" Wendy said struggling against the guards; _no they'll hurt her for helping me! I can't let that happen! _Wendy kicked out with her legs, heat coursing through her limbs as a blast of scalding water pushed the mermaids away, the mermaid who held Elise let go of her and she began to swim towards Wendy, "No Elise, swim away go and hide!" the mermaid stopped and looked at Wendy with frightened eyes, Wendy waved her away and watched as the mermaid swam into the darkness her fiery red hair waving behind her.

Wendy began swimming up towards the ledge she had just gripped it, her head coming above the water and her lungs sucking in the cool evening air, the air was short lived as she was yanked back under the water, her lungs tightening as the plant's effect wore off. She kicked and screamed in the water, her lungs beginning to burn.

A hand shot through the surface grabbing her outstretched hand and yanking her to the surface and onto land. She lay on the ground coughing, "Wendy? Wendy are you alright?" a familiar voice shouted nervously.

Wendy pulled back onto her knees wiping the water out of her eyes. Slightly knelt on ground in front of her his hands moving in the air as if he was going to touch her but was too afraid to. Wendy reached out and pulled Slightly down to her in a big hug, she had never been so happy to see Slightly.

* * *

**I apologize for my lack of updates-heres an extra long chapter to appease the torch bearing mobs. **

**Anyways~ can anyone guess who I sort of based Elise off of? Keep an eye on her she may be important later on in the story. **

**Next up we have Peter's quest-to get the dead kings crown! **

**If you have any questions about the mermaid world just PM me and I can answer them. **

**Read and Review?**

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	9. Chapter 9

Peter zipped through the air, fighting a scowl back as he made his way to the black castle. Tink flew next to him, trying to keep up, _"He's right you know."_ Tink said as they landed across the waters from the castle, a dark cloud hovered over it making the waters it sat in frothy.

"About what?" Peter said grabbing a stone from the ground and chucking it as far into the dark waters as he could.

"_About Wendy, she's not meant for this place Peter. She's a grown up."_ The fairy said gently.

"So what? The Indians are grown ups—Hook's a grown up!" Peter began to climb up the rocks to the castle—it seemed to be getting harder and harder to fly these days.

"_They are a part of the island Peter. Wendy has a whole other life in England."_ The fairy hopped from rock to rock propelling herself with her wings. Peter frowned but said nothing as they got to the obsidian steps of the black castle and began the climb to the large front doors.

Goosebumps formed on Peter's arms as he grabbed the large rings that served as doorknobs and pulled the heavy door open and slipping into the inky darkness of the Castle's belly.

The Castle's layout was as he remembered it, coves of doorways with stairs leading up to the main castle, black waters licking up the craggy walls and splashing onto the pathways, three sets of manacles hung from the rock face so that when high tide flowed in the prisoners would drown.

Peter crept towards the stares and peeked around the corner, checking to see if any pirates were there. They weren't. He waved Tink forwards and lifted off the ground, zooming up the stairs towards the throng room.

The throne room was a large room with high cathedral ceilings, a long gray rug that had once been blood read, and an obsidian throne in which the skeleton of a long dead king sat, regal even in death.

Peter stepped forward and began to mutter the riddle, "First you need the dead king's crown," but the king wasn't wearing a crown he took a step turning and taking in the room "follow the crossed swords all the way down," he glanced around the room looking for crossed swords but the walls were bare, of anything and everything except for the windows that were placed near the ceiling. "Its gotta be near the throne." He muttered more to himself than to Tink as he advanced upon the dusty throne and peered at the dead king.

He had no qualms with touching the bones and perusing about them but he held respect for the legend of the King, apparently the king was a great man back in his own world ruling fairly but with an iron fist. It made Peter think of King Arthur—a king who he had read about from one of the many books Tink brought home for him. When the King and his castle were transported to Neverland the King refused the help of the fairies and his castle faded and perished. It had always been the abandoned black castle to Peter, all other bones having become dust except for the King's, but why?

Peter examined the throne that the King sat on, not wanting to touch him just yet, under his left arm was the engraving of two swords crossed to make an 'X'. "X marks the spot." Peter said with a grin, brushing the king's bone's gently off the arm of the chair and looking at the swords. "Follow the swords all the way down." He repeated and pressed the panel, it pressed inwards with a groan and gears and cogs that lay beneath the floor began to grind and whir, moaning and the dais that the King's throne sat on began to lift, beneath it were stairs that went downwards.

Peter's eyebrow quirked up and Tink landed on his shoulder, "_Scared_?" she asked.

He grinned, "I laugh in the face of danger." He said loudly before lifting off and flying into the inky darkness, ignoring the stairs.

Once he made it down to the bottom Tink lit up the room by flicking a bit of pixie dust into a lantern covered with cobwebs, the room was round and in the middle of it sat three pedestals, on them sat three identical gold crowns, on the wall behind the crowns were words inscribed into the wall.

"Take but the one your heart truly desires, but be forewarned if you take the wrong one the ceiling will become your grave."

Goosebumps traveled down Peter's arms as he moved towards the crowns, "So what do I do? Touch them?" he asked Tink who just shrugged and hovered with a worried look, he shrugged along with her, what's the worst that could happen? Sticking out his index finger he pressed it into the cool metal of the middle crown, an image popping into his head and making him suck in a shocked breath.

The image of him as a boy, flying around Neverland, laughing, battling with pirates and being forever young and free to do what he pleased. Peter smiled, "this is the one." He said reaching to grab the crown but Tink stopped him "_please try them all Peter, what if that's the wrong one?" _

"How can it be the wrong one? It's the reason we came for!" the boy said his eyebrows coming together but he reached out his finger again, touching the right crown, gasping as another image came before him of a mother rocking a bundle that he assumed was a baby and humming a sweet song that was vaguely familiar to him, after finishing her song she got up and placed the baby gently in it's cradle. "Good night my sweet Peter." She said.

Peter jerked away from the vision, flying backwards until he hit one of the circular walls and sliding down it, Tink raced over to him "_Peter? What did you see? Peter!_" she said tugging on his curls, a tear rolled down Peter's cheek which he wiped away furiously and stood. Peter didn't think of his mother very much, he thought she had abandoned him and that's why he fell out of his pram and into Neverland—he had never imagined that someone so loving could be his. He stood and went over to the last crown "One more." He muttered.

He placed his finger on the crown and was taken to a field of wildflowers; he was sitting and across from him sat Wendy, beautiful Wendy with her long, shiny golden brown hair and large blue eyes. She was weaving wildflower circlets and placing them on the head of a brown haired green eyed child who smiled at her with glee and unconditional love. The child turned to Peter and held out his chubby hands and Wendy turned and gave him a radiant smile that made Peter feel warm and safe. Peter let go of the crown smiling.

Tink watched her best friend smile softly, and felt her heart break. She hadn't been able to see the visions he was having but she knew what the last one had to be about. That boy was deeper in love with Wendy than he knew and the love that was once childish and pure was changing into a deeper and more whole love—the love that only a man can give. Tink pursed her lips with a bittersweet feeling and came to sit on his shoulder. "_So which will it be_?" she asked softly.

Peter knew which one he wanted but could he take it? Peter reached out instinctively and snatched up the crown on the left, holding it to him and squeezing his eyes shut for a moment before realizing that nothing had happened. _I do want Wendy_. He thought with his jaw agape. He looked at the crown in his hands—he was going to use it to become a child again why did the correct crown something different? He sighed and wobbled a little bit placing a hand on the middle pedestal to steady himself, the pedestal crumbled beneath his weight and the crown went crashing to the floor.

A distant rumble echoed through the room, "Oh no." he said grabbing a protesting Tink in his fist and hooking the crown to his belt before zipping up through the stairs as the cellar crashed down around him, he avoided falling rocks and coughed through the debris. In the distance he saw the light that was the exit.

Faster, faster, I'll never make it! He thought as he neared the exit, just as he was about to get away a falling boulder knocked him out of the air and pinned his leg. "No, no, no." he said yanking at his leg in a futile attempt to get free, Tink tried to spread pixie dust on the boulder to give him leverage but it was no use he sat with his back against the stairs watching the tunnel crash around him, I'm never going to get to see Wendy again—never going to see those cornflower blue eyes or her rose red lips. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable, Tink chattering in his ear, a hand reached into the tunnel followed by another pair and the hands yanked him hard, pulling him out from under the rock and onto the floor of the throne room as the tunnel collapsed in on itself and the throne lowered once more to it's previous position.

"Peter?" Fox asked "Peter you okay?" Fox and hawk stood over him, Hawk's bland expression in place but his eyes showed concern.

"Um…" he patted his body making sure everything was in its proper place before turning to them "yeah, thanks."

"Anytime." Fox said waggling his eyebrows like he always did, it made Peter uncomfortable most of the time.

"Uh… I gotta go—Tink?" he said and the fairy yanked on his hair with an angry glare.

"_How could you give up like that you oaf!"_ she said yanking on his hair again.

"Ouch! Sorry." Peter said swatting the fairy away and rubbing his head. "Look, I have to go find Wendy you and the boys should head back to the treehouse." Tink nodded and didn't question him, corralling the boys out of the castle in the direction of home.

Peter lifted off the ground smiling; he wanted to see Wendy—to see her smile in the flesh and to hear her voice and her laughter. He flew over the treetops and towards the Mermaid Cove humming the song he had seen the woman in his vision humming, dropping down into the trees just outside of the cove. He picked his way through the woods and began to call out Wendy's name but stopped when he saw the figures on the beach. Slightly was bent over an coughing Wendy patting her back as she vomited up water, he said a few things and Wendy looked up her eyes wide before she embraced the boy.

Peter stood in the trees, watching them, the obsidian crown gripped in his fists. Was he too late?

* * *

**My lack of updates is probably cruel and unusual punishment... **

**Uh here's another chapter that was half done and then I finished it-I'm rather happy with it (finally) **

**Any questions or critiques? **

**Please Read & Review then!**

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	10. Chapter 10

Wendy stood hugging Slightly her clothes dripping for another few moments before pulling away and smiling awkwardly at him, she opened her mouth but he cut her off.

"You scared the living daylights out of me Wendy! What were you doing messing around with those mermaids—they are evil, evil I say!" Slightly narrowed his eyes at her and planted his hands on her shoulders "That was dangerous."

"Hello to you too Sli." Wendy rolled her eyes "I needed to get something from the mermaids so I went to get it." She shrugged his hands away and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What was so important that you risked your life over?"

"This!" she held up the golden seashell necklace proudly.

"Shiny." Slightly said sarcastically "Come on we're going home." He made to grab her hand but she stepped away from him, "I'm not going home. I'm going to stay and help Peter." She took another step back from Slightly gripping the necklace in her fist.

"Why are you so keen on helping him? He practically chucked you into a situation where your life was in danger all so he can become a little boy again!" Slightly shouted.

"Because I owe it to him! It's my fault that he's growing up!" Wendy shouted back at him with a glare "You wouldn't understand."

"What I understand Wendy is that you'd rather stay here even though your family is at home worrying about you, that's what I understand!" he yelled, but stopped abruptly when he saw the hurt in her eyes "Sorry." He muttered looking down at his clenched fists.

They stood in silence not looking at each other and not talking, "Rah-Kah-Kah-Kah!" the call of a rooster came from the trees, Peter flew from them a childish grin on his face, he landed in front of them with his fists planted on his hips "Oh the cleverness of me!" he crowed pulling a deep black crown from his little satchel and dangling it on his index finger.

"Oh you've found it!" Wendy said clapping and ignoring Slightly who glowered at the sandy haired boy "I've also found mine!" she held up the shell on it's chain and tried to pull it over her head, it got to her chin before a little pop sounded from the shell and she yelped in pain dropping the shell where it rested on her collar bone "Ouch!"

"Are you alright?" Slightly turned to her in alarm.

"No it shocked me!" she held her hand up and they all looked at her chapped red fingers, Slightly moved to examine her hands but Peter stepped front of him gently taking Wendy's fingers in his rough dirty palms and kissing the tips, Wendy sucked in a sharp breath, heat rising into her cheeks.

"Oi! What was that for?" Slightly yelled pulling Wendy away from Peter "Hands off Romeo."

Peter looked a bit confused "When Tink does it the scrapes and cuts usually go away." He shrugged.

"She's a fairy you nimrod." Slightly rolled his eyes "Since we're staying we had better get back to the treehouse before it gets dark." He tugged on Wendy's hand pulling her towards the trees.

Peter found himself glaring at his old comrade's back, why was seeing him close to Wendy making him see red? He shook off the feeling and called out "The treehouse is the other way!"

A moment later Slightly stomped past him again, pulling a dazed Wendy along with him.

* * *

They slid down the holes and landed on the plush rug of the Treehouse, Wendy stood and dusted herself off, "Finally we made it I'm exhausted!" she made her way into the room kissing Mo on the top of his head and waving to Fox and Hawk before flopping down on the soft furs that made up her bed. "I just want to sleep forever." She moaned into the furs.

"No time for that!" Peter leaped into the air and landed with a plop on the furs next to Wendy crossing his legs Indian style. "We have an appointment with the Queen of Fairies."

Wendy looked up at him, "Why?"

"Because she knows where the third object might be—also she invited us for a dance party, we leave in fifteen minutes!" he zoomed out the hole and into the night. Wendy groaned and sat up "I look like a drowned rat, how am I supposed to go see fairies?" she looked down at her dirty nightgown and her tangled hair.

"There are fairies waiting for you outside with some clothes." Fox said shoving a pasty into his mouth and swallowing it whole. Hawk had gone to sit next to a sulking Slightly and Mo tugged on Wendy's skirt, holding his arms out as if he wanted to be picked up and Wendy obliged.

Climbing up the dirt steps she stood outside in the forest and waited "Hello?" she called and watched as hundreds of tiny lights came out of the darkness, Wendy loved being around fairies (aside from Tink) they always made her feel like she was floating on air.

She smiled and set Mo down, "Stay close." She said and he went to sit on a log. Fairies surrounded her and pulled something from behind a bush, it was a silver nightgown that shimmered in the fairies' light, little bows adorned it and the ruffles were exquisitely crafted and crisp. "It's beautiful," Wendy breathed "It's for me?"

One of the fairies nodded and then several other fairies yanked off her dirty nightgown and pulled wet sponges from buckets and began to scrub at her "Hey! That tickles!" she yelped laughing, they poured soap on her hair and rinsed taking tiny little combs to her curls and straightening them out. Miraculously by the time they finished her hair was dry as was the rest of her body, they instructed her to lift her arms by a series of charades and lifted the dress over her body, pulling and tugging it over her head so it fit just right. Wendy looked down at herself, this was a woman's nightgown—not some shapeless shift that little girls wore. It hung about her like a silk sheet, tapering in under her bust and a large silver ribbon that looked like a butterfly tapering out at the back. Fairies pulled her hair back and clipped it with a silver butterfly brooch and flew back to admire their handiwork.

"Thank you!" she gushed looking down at herself and then back at them again "I feel so pretty!" the fairies grinned and each kissed her cheek before leaving. Wendy smiled feeling reinvigorated. "Come one Mo, lets go to this dance." She held out her hand for him to take and headed back towards the treehouse a large grin on her face.

* * *

**Eheh... it's been a while? **

**I'M SO SORRY I'VE BEEN REALLY BUSY.**

**THERE SHOULD BE A FEW MORE UPDATES OVER THE COURSE OF THANKSGIVING BREAK!**

**AGAIN I'M SORRY!**

**Ehem. Anyways. **

**Read and Review? **

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	11. Chapter 11

Wendy pulled back a couple of the branches that were in her way, so as not to snag her new gown. She examined the tree house, "Confound it." She muttered "For the life of me I can't remember where the actual door was, and I am definitely not sliding down the slide." She groaned and looked down at the pretty gown that nearly glowed in the moonlight that filtered through the trees. Mo looked up at her with his big blue eyes and grinned, his little teeth gleaming in the moonlight. That's it! She thought with a snap "Mo would you mind go fetching the boys? Make sure they are properly washed behind their ears and such—okay?" the infant nodded and toddled off down one of the slides.

Over the course of fifteen minutes she heard yells and splashes from the innards of the tree, by the time the boys emerged from the treehouse they were squeaky clean—their hair still wet.

"Did you get Mo washed too?" Wendy asked and nodded in approval as Hawk held out the clean toddler, whose legs dangled beneath him rather adorably. Mo's white blond curls were just that with no branches or dirt in them. Hawk and Fox were both just as clean. Slightly was standing at the entrance (Oh there it is!) with his mouth in a little round O.

"Is something the matter? Where's Peter?" Wendy asked concern lacing her voice as she stepped towards Slightly who jerked backwards, cleared his voice, and stood up straight. "He's uh—"

"Right here!" Peter stepped up behind Slightly, dwarfing him by a half a foot. Slightly glowered up at him but Peter didn't seem to notice. He was staring at Wendy, his mouth not quite ajar but close enough. Wendy's chest filled with an odd sort of satisfaction at their looks, a satisfaction which she didn't quite understand just yet. Fox stepped forward "You look lovely Wendy." He said with a deep bow.

Wendy chuckled "Why thank you, shall we?" she said and Fox crooked his arm and Wendy hooked hers through his and held out her other hand for Mo. They set off down the path, Hawk shadowing quietly behind them. At the end of path Wendy called over her shoulder "Are you boys coming or not!" and Peter and Slightly hastened after them.

* * *

Peter trudged behind the rest of the group as they talked and laughed, he didn't know what seemed to have come over him, he felt like he had just been punched in the gut—which he had, he didn't like baths, neither did the rest of the lost boys so they rough housed a bit to see who would go after Mo—but this was different, usually the feeling of being out of breath went away after a few minutes but _this_, this was plaguing him and following him all the way to the Pixie Hollow.

Peter glanced ahead at Wendy who had turned her head and was talking to Foxy. She looked completely different; the fairies had gussied her up. Her heavy sorrel curls had been pinned up and now curled down her neck and past her shoulder blades. They had dabbed some sort of sparkly stuff from the outer corner of her eyelids and outlined her high cheekbones making her look ethereal, almost untouchable.

And the dress—where did they get this stuff it's not like girls Wendy's size came to the island everyday—it was clinging to her curves, the curves Peter had been trying not to think about because he _never_ thought about that kind of stuff. He didn't know he even could think about that kind of things. He shook the thoughts out of his mind like they were butterflies clinging to his hair. He needed to prioritize. He didn't want to grow up and think about such… complicated things.

He forced a bubbly laugh and leapt into the air, "Come on slowpokes!" He called and zoomed ahead to the entrance of the waterfall. He wouldn't think about such things.

* * *

Wendy watched Peter zoom through the familiar willow branches that let to Pixie Hollow. It'd been five years since she'd stepped foot in Pixie hollow but it hadn't changed, not at all. The massive tree that sat in the middle of the glen twisted upwards, its branches and leaves lit with the power of pixie dust, fairies with their individual light zoomed about, preparing things here and there. When Wendy squinted she could just barely make out their tiny arms and legs.

A stout little fairy man hovered in front of Peter who headed the group now on the ground. The sound of bells filled the air around them as Peter and the fairy conversed.

Peter turned to the group "The Queen would like to see us before the dance." Before heading towards the tree, Wendy sped up to walk next to him, "Peter?"

"Huh?"

"Why are the fairies having a dance tonight?"

"Uh…" Peter said distractedly "Because they are celebrating the winter solstice I think, or something like that." He sped up and Wendy rolled her eyes and caught his hand, anchoring him to her. "It's so odd that I've only been here for two days. It feels like I've been here forever so far." She blew a curling bang out of her eyes and Peter paled a little bit detangling himself from her hand and kneeling in front of the huge tree. Wendy and the rest of their company followed suit, Wendy smoothed her skirts around her so they wouldn't get dirty and looked forward, quietly nursing the hurt and reminding herself that Peter couldn't process those kinds of feelings and she knew that. She turned to the little hollow at the bottom of the tree; the arch of the hollow was carved intricately into delicate little vines and roses that seemed to move with the changes in light from the fairy's glow. A little grass throne stood just beneath the hollow, fairies sat around it and smiled up at them. A lovely little fairy sat on the throne. She had long blond hair that lay in straight lengths draped around the throne. Her grown was little branches that seemed to be covered in silver and gold and her dress was made of a light blue material that Wendy wasn't sure of.

"Hello." The fairy said and Wendy's eyebrows rose "I see you are surprised at my ability to speak your language? It is a privilege I have had the honor of learning dear one."

"Anyways. I have come under the impression that you are in need of something from me Peter Pan." She turned to Peter who nodded. "I have come for the fairy ring that you and your people guard."

"Well that may pose a bit of a problem…"

"Why?" Peter's head snapped upwards and he and the Queen locked eyes.

"Because I do not know where it is currently located."

"_What_?"

"It was taken by Hook and his pirates many years ago, if you want it you will have to go get it." The Queen said flatly.

"Hook." Peter muttered turning to Wendy, "Do you still have the shell you retrieved from the Mermaid Queen?" Wendy nodded and held it out, it's nearly see through gold surface shining with an unearthly glow.

"You put it on?" the Queen said sharply rising from her throne and hovering in front of Wendy.

"Uh yeah, I was kind of running from Ravenous mermaid and such—not the thing I want to be holding when I'm fending them off, a dagger maybe, but not a shell necklace."

The Queen muttered something in her native language, "My dear one, you mustn't take that off until you complete the ritual. It is imperative."

"Why?" Peter said pulling Wendy behind his shoulder slightly narrowing his eyes at the Queen.

"You have met the Mermaid Queen I presume?"

"Yes… she was… horrible."

"Well that's one of the words we can use to describe her as. Her emotion has been completely sucked out of her due to her facing the loss of her husband, the human. She is completely insane." The Queen sighed and flew closer to her ear to whisper words only for her. "If you are to go through with this my dear one, you are going to face a loss and that means the necklace will be testing you. Do not be as weak as the Mermaidian Queen was. You are stronger in spirit and your love is stronger than most I have encountered." The Queen flew back to her throne, "Please eat, drink, dance, and be merry!"

"What'd she say to you?" Peter asked as he helped her up, she shook her head "Nothing Peter, don't worry about it." She broke the contact and hurried away with the rest. Peter started to follow "Peter." The Queens soft voice floated over to him "I need to speak with you in private."

* * *

**Please Read and Review!**

**I may be looking for a beta soon, though i'm not sure because i'm pretty unpredictable with my writing (As you have all seen in the weeks between chapters ^^'') **

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	12. Chapter 12

Peter groaned inwardly as he stopped and turned around.

"Sit, sit." The Queen gestured and he sat cross-legged in front of her. She smoothed her skirts and looked up at him, "Well?" she asked with a quirked brow.

"Well what?"

"Well what are you planning to do?"

"Uhh… tomorrow we will set out for Hooks—I will get the ring and then we will do the spell and then I will take Wendy back home. Easy." He shrugged.

"Alright. What about the kiss?"

"What kiss?"

"The kiss you have to give her during the ritual. It's what caused all this and it's what will undo all this—if undoing it is what you really want." The Queen stood and put a slightly glowing hand on his knee, "Is it what you want?"

"Of course. What else would I want; all I've ever wanted was to be a boy forever." Peter affirmed.

"Well then young Peter, have fun tonight, dance and be merry. But remember; keep watch over what you truly want for it may be taken from you before you know it."

"I will… thank you." He said before heading off to find Wendy.

The Queen sat back down and took a tiny goblet that was offered to her, sipping the sweet wine from it and tutting. "That child is as thick as a rock." She handed her goblet to a giggling handmaiden, "I just hope he realizes what is right in front of his face before it is too late."

* * *

Wendy sat in the fairy glen with her legs tucked neatly underneath herself and watched to fairies dance in their rings, twirling and kicking. Slightly sat next to her, laughing and clapping along with the music.

Once the song ended, he turned to Wendy and watched her far off expression. Over the previous five years he had watched that expression, even as her face changed and became more mature that single expression never changed. He knew she was thinking of Peter, just by that expression and the thought of how much it hurt her to even think about Pan made him want to punch a wall.

He glanced over at the three new lost boys who sat with their backs against the grand tree, Hawk was sitting stoically while Fox chattered endlessly to him and held Mo on his lap, the toddler was now peacefully asleep despite all the noise that surrounded them.

Slightly wasn't completely unhappy to be back in Neverland. He missed it's green forests and dense jungles, it's blue waters that were the same color of the sky and the adventures he had with his cousins. He probably always would, but he definitely did not want to be a child again. He used to be so afraid to grow up and become something, that if he did he would be unhappy. But over the five years that he had grown up Slightly had found his passion, his mother who he loved, and someone that he had increasing feelings for everyday. And now this person was hurting and Slightly just wanted to take her back to London where she wouldn't hurt anymore.

"Slightly?" Wendy's voice brought him from his thoughts, "Are you alright?" she asked placing a small slender hand on his forearm.

"Fine, just fine!" he sputtered, but stopped "No—wait. I'm not fine, Wendy I think we should go back."

"You're tired? I suppose we can head back to the treehouse early let me jus—"

"Not what I meant, Wendy I think we should go back home. To London." Slightly placed his hand over hers.

"I can't Slightly. We've got to help Peter."

"No, we don't. You've already gotten him the necklace, and tomorrow you're about to risk your life with the pirates? Wendy. You don't owe him anything."

Wendy gave an exasperated sigh, "Really, Slightly what's gotten into you? I can't leave I have to wear the necklace until we do the spell." She admonished. "Why are you so keen to leave Neverland anyways? Don't you miss it? Also why are you so angry with Peter?"

"Because Wendy. I want to keep you safe. I want to take you back to London in one piece and staying here any longer than we have to is dangerous."

"Why? Because my brothers asked you to come and protect me? Like I can't protect myself?" Wendy glared, her temper starting to get the better of her as she pulled her hand away.

"No!" Slightly said as she stood and began to stomp away, "I'm here because I love you Wendy. As a man, not a friend." He watched her shoulders stiffen then sag as she turned around, her eyes glittering with tears. "I'm sorry." She whispered and hurried off into the night her white gown flaring out around her.

Slightly sat down and put his heads into his hands, good one Slightly, he thought miserably, that was real smooth. A pat on his back made him come out of his misery for a moment. Hawk and Fox were now sitting next to him, Mo still asleep in Hawk's lap.

"That's rough." Fox said sympathetically.

"Thanks a lot."

* * *

Wendy hurried away from the lights, needing a moment to herself. She felt horrible, she was a horrible person and she knew it. She'd always known Slightly had had feelings for her but she'd selfishly ignored him to think about Peter, the boy who sometimes she thought was nothing more than a dream.

She found a rock and sat on it, staring up at the moon.

"Wendy?" Peter's hesitant voice came from the edge of the clearing and despite her horrible mood Wendy's heart skipped a beat. She sat up and watched him enter the clearing, his curling blond hair looking pale in the moonlight and his slightly pointed ears poking out from it' depths.

"Hmm?" she finally said as he came to stand beside her.

"Would you honor me with a dance?" he said bowing in an awkward manner causing her to laugh as she took his hand, "Are you sure? You and I seem to have awful luck with dancing."

"I'm sure as long as I don't storm off that is." He grinned cheekily and suddenly they were in the air, twirling to the faint music from the fairies' glen.

Wendy looked up at Peter's face, her emotions battling one another, one of complete loss at knowing she would never get through to him and the other a utter joy at being able to be with him in that moment.

After a few moments of silence she spoke, "Peter?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you had gone back to London with me?"

"Uh-uh."

"Oh…" she said and suddenly she knew what she had to ask. "Peter? Do you love?"

Peter froze, the familiarity of the situation hitting him like a stone wall. "I've told you before that I don't need such things. They are useless emotions that adults possess and I will never be an adult."

Wendy winced at the conviction in his voice but forced herself to continue "Well you have to love something, or else you'll become like the Mermaid Queen. She doesn't love anything and the absence of that has turned her into a monster."

"I am no mermaid Wendy."

"Yes. I suppose not… but even if it is useless you must love something, anything."

"No." he said fiercely and Wendy felt her face and her heart break all over again, she pulled away from Peter allowing herself to fall onto the plush ground below.

"Hey! Wait!" Peter said landing as Wendy stood, masking her hurt with anger she turned.

"Peter Pan you may never love but that makes you utterly alone! As soon as I finish helping you like I said I would I'm going _home_!"

She retreated into the darkness leaving him in the middle of the clearing his mouth open and stunned.

* * *

Wendy fought her way through the trees, stray branches pulling at her gown and the clips in her hair until it fell free around her face. She ran and ran until her chest burned and then collapsed in the middle of the forest and then she let herself cry. She cried for Peter and how he would never grow up no matter what happened, she cried for Slightly who she could never return her love, and then she cried for herself because she was stupid and naïve and couldn't stop loving a boy who could never return her feelings on an intimate level.

After a while Wendy sat up, feeling useless. I had better get back before people start to worry. She thought as she stood and brushed herself off, miraculously the gown seemed not to have any rips or dirt on it and she suspected the fairies put a spell on it.

A snap in the woods had her whirling around, men came from the woods dressed in all manners of clothing, and their skin was tattooed and browned from the sun. She recognized them almost instantly and glanced around for some kind of weapon but saw none.

"Well if it isn't Wendy, all grown up." Said a smooth and rich voice, she was whirled around to face Captain Hook who grinned and pulled a burlap sack over her head, plunging Wendy into darkness.

* * *

**Wow so much happened in that chapter-and it was kind of fast paced (I hate when I do that) but ANYWAYS. There should be three or four more chapters to be seen and I love writing as Hook so this should be fun.**

**Questions? Grievances? **

**Comments?**

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**-LittleMoonLover-**


	13. Chapter 13

While the boys slept fitfully back at the treehouse Wendy sat in a corner in what she remembered to be Hook's quarters. She had been there for only an hour but hadn't moved from the corner she had scurried into when the pirates had thrown her down the steps.

Her pretty gown was in tatters and was covered in dirt and her hair had twigs sticking from it in every which way, her left leg had begun to again because when they had thrown her rather roughly down the stairs she had landed queerly.

The room was nearly as she remembered it from the dinner she had attended almost five years ago: A grand wood table sat in the center of the room, bare with only a lantern sitting in the middle of it, two large plush chairs sat on either end of it and were draped with a filmy cloth that Wendy assumed was used to keep the dust off, the rest of the room was in disarray in the corner opposite of her was a large chest that was bigger than Nana and was over flowing with sparkling trinkets and other valuable doodads. On the far wall from the door an alcove had been cut into the wall and a large feather mattress had been placed there followed by pillows and a blanket that was half off the bed, feathers protruded from the mattress in spots that looked as if they had stabbed into the mattress by something sublimely sharp, and finally under the only window in the room, a large porthole, sat a grand desk made of dark wood that had divots in it from someone digging something sharp into it's surface, papers were neatly stacked and a large red feather quill sat proudly in it's inkwell.

Wendy sat in that room with her knees drawn up to her chest, trying to devise a way out of it's depths but her mind kept rolling back to Peter's words and she lost her train of thought. Finally after a long night she saw the sun rise through the porthole and her eyes grew heavier and heavier as if they were weighed down by sandbags and she dropped off into an oblivious sleep curled up in her corner.

* * *

Wendy awoke to the sounds of boots thudding over head, she drowsily rubbed her eyes and looked towards the porthole, and the sky that had been so blue only hours ago was turning dark and rainy before ultimately turning into snow.

"Well, well, well." Said a voice from across the room, Wendy started and stood backing as far into the corner as she could when she laid eyes on the man sitting lazily in his large plush chair, his elbow resting on the wooden armrest and cradling his head to the side. "If it isn't the wendy-bird, flown back to Neverland to help her Pan." Mocked Captain James Hook. "And she's all grown up as well."

"I demand you release me Hook." Wendy's fists tightened.

"Just like that?" Hook questioned a bushy eyebrow raised.

"Just like that." She said through gritted teeth, Hook bellowed with laughter and wiped the smooth edge of his hook under his eye, catching a tear. "That is just too funny my dear, now come, come there is food to be eaten." He said gesturing to the table that was full of food, Wendy's stomach gurgled but she glared at him. "It's probably poisoned."

"Oh please, poisoning people is just so inelegant and impersonal not to mention a waste of perfectly good food or wine, which reminds me you are old enough to drink now are you not?" he held out a golden goblet to her, "Now sit, it wouldn't be very gentlemanly if I let a young lady starve would it not?" he grinned looking like the Cheshire cat.

"You sir are no gentleman." Wendy said sitting down in the chair across from him, not wanting to eat any of the food and give him the satisfaction but losing the fight with her stomach, which often happened.

"So why did you kidnap me, other than the obvious 'Peter Pan is my nemesis' reason?" Wendy asked chewing a soft piece of bread.

"Well that is the main reason my dear but you see that little shell on your necklace? Well I'm going to need it." Wendy's hand came to the shell, "I'll die if I take it off."

"Then it's a good thing you don't annoy me then isn't it?" Hook bit into his steak.

"So why am I here."

"I'm not killing you, hence your aliveness but I need the necklace which comes with you as a package and so here we are." Hook rolled his eyes as if it were obvious.

"So what do you want the wish for?" Wendy asked nonchalantly looking into her wine.

"Peter Pan's demise of course." He cackled when he saw her flinch "You still have feeling for him don't you. Even though he can never love you as you love him." Hook said staring at Wendy hard.

"Of course I do, you don't know him like I do."

"No but I know him better, I've been chasing him around for the past one-hundred and seventy five years. He may not know how long or acknowledge the time but I am older and I know." Hook sat back in his chair, "He's not the type of creature who can love and be loved."

"He a human being not some animal." Wendy said coldly standing and heading back into her corner. Hook sighed almost as if regretting something, "There is a clean gown on the desk, I have Pan's arrival to plan." He bowed "My lady." Before clomping up the stairs.

Wendy fought back tears, wishing that what Hook had said wasn't true but knowing that it was, due to her heightened emotions she didn't seem to notice the water in the glass on the desk begin to vibrate and slosh from the cup and the faint glow from the necklace.

* * *

**My lack of updates is appalling, I apologize. There are only two or three chapters left to go! **

**Read & Review**

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	14. Chapter 14

"Wake up ye girlie!" howled a toothless pirate as he shook her back into consciousness, Wendy was wedged into her corner and curled up into a ball, she wore the white nightgown she had sleepily put on and had pulled a large flannel blanket from one of the covers before curling up in her corner and sleeping. Now as the tendrils of sleep still clung to her she was lifted under both arms and set on her feet.

"Unhand me!" she growled shooting Gillywag the toothless pirate a venomous look, the pirate released her, holding up two dirty palms in surrender. "Alright girlie—but the cap'n wishes to see you on deck."

"Fine." She grumbled climbing up the steep steps and opening the door, strutting from below deck with her chin in the air.

"Good evening," Hook greeted her, "Come come! Peter why don't you repeat to your Wendy what you have just told me?"

Wendy's heart dropped through her feet as she saw Peter and the lost boys, all of them, standing before her surrounded by pirates. All of her brothers smiled weakly at her Michael giving her a little wave. "What's going on?"

"I have come to surrender." Peter said gruffly, the crown gripped in his white knuckles, his eyes met hers and they held something indiscernible that Wendy didn't understand, anger grew in the pit of her stomach along with a sick sense of guilt. This is my fault, if I hadn't run of none of this would happen.

"Peter Pan doesn't give up." She said quietly, glaring at the ground.

"What's that dearie?" Hook said leaning in.

"I said: PETER PAN DOESN'T GIVE UP!" she shouted reaching for Gillywag's belt and pulling a nicked scimitar free, she lifted her foot and kicked a scrawny pirate over board, effectively starting the fight.

* * *

**PETERS POV**

_One hour prior…_

Peter sat in the topmost branches of the tree house, watching the sun rise over the ocean. He hadn't gotten any sleep, his thoughts raced all night of Wendy and how she may have been hurt when they captured her. "It was your duty to protect her and you failed." He muttered to himself, running his fingers through his sandy blond curls.

After a few more minutes he allowed himself to slide from the branch falling through the leaves until his landed lithely on the green forest floor. He stretched his tired, aching muscles and slid down the hole that was meant for him, being careful not to whack his head on the tree's roots. He landed on the dirt floor with a flurry of dust and sat there in shock at what he saw.

All of the Lost Boys stood around him, Nibs, Curly, Tootles and the twins grinned at him sheepishly, their hands were placed firmly in their trouser pockets and each had a lovely gold watch that had the letter D inscribed on it. Michael and John stood off to the side, John had grown into a strapping man of nearly twenty, his jaw and shoulders widened giving him sharp features and his brown eyes were hidden behind his large round spectacles. Michael had grown longer but still held his childish face and his chubbiness, his straw colored hair in disarray and his linen shirt already had a smudge on it.

"You… you're all here!" Peter exclaimed leaping up and thwacking a few of them on the shoulders in greeting.

"Tinkerbell came to get us." Michael informed him, Tink landed on his shoulder with a smile, _'I thought you might need some backup.'_

Peter mouthed a quick thank you, "Then you guys know what we need to do right?"

Everyone turned solemn, "Save the wendybird." Tootles said, his large robust frame towering over his brother's.

"Yes. And heres how we're going to do it…" Peter ushered them closer.

* * *

"That'll never work!" Slightly argued after Peter finished explaining.

"And it will piss Wendy off royally." John added.

"She will know that our fake-surrender is just that, and once we get her to safety we can go back to get the crown."

"It's absurd Peter, she's more than likely too exhausted to discern between what is fake and what is real." John said pushing his spectacles farther up the bridge of his nose out of habit.

"Well she's going to have to." Peter said firmly, "Now are you in or out?"

* * *

"Halt!" a pirate yelled from the ship, pointing his revolver at the oncoming crowd.

"Wait!" Peter called holding up the crown "We've… we've come to surrender."

"Uh…" the pirate said and he turned to talk to the man next to him who Peter recognized as Smee "Is that allowed?"

"Go get cap'n." Smee hissed at the pirate who scurried off and a few moments later Hook showed up, looking over at them, grinning from ear to ear. A gang plank was lowered onto the sand and Peter and the rest of the Lost Boy's made their way up, looking solemn.

"Well, well, well it looks as if the great Peter Pan has been brought to his knees… by a _girl_." Hook cackled, the rest of his crew dissolved into fits of laughter until Hook's own laughter died and he shot them glares, shutting them up.

Peter wanted to be mad, he wanted his anger and conviction to aid him, but oddly enough the anger from that comment that would have had him seething, seemed to have no effect on Peter. Must be an adult thing, he thought idly. The absence of his anger gave him a clear head and he knew what he needed to do. "I've come to surrender old man." He held the crown up "The crown for Wendy."

"Yes, yes all in good time boy. But first, why don't we bring out the girl you're about to give up your youth for—lets she what she thinks of you giving up like the yellow bellied coward you are."

Peter's gut clenched painfully as two pirates led Wendy out from below deck, her hair curled freely down her back and her blue eyes looked sleepy, two dark circles marred the area under her eyes which lit up when they fell on Peter.

Hook greeted her, "Now come come Peter, don't be shy. Now repeat what you told me to your Wendy." He sneered, stepped back so Peter could talk.

"I…" he mumbled "I've come to surrender."

Peter watched Wendy's face crumple and his stomach twisted painfully his eyes searching out hers, when he found her blue eyes they were swimming with hurt and confusion.

She mumbled something and Hook stepped closer to her, "Whats that dear?"

"I said: PETER PAN DOESN'T GIVE UP!" In a motion faster than lightening she grabbed the weapon of the pirate nearest to her, and kicked a pirate overboard. The Lost Boy's began to yell and the fighting began.

* * *

**Wendy's POV**

Wendy twirled, slashing at a pirate near her. She waved to Tootles and the Twins before elbowing an oncoming goon and kissed Michael and John on their cheeks. Curly and Nibs tugged playfully on the end of her hair before sparring with a pair of peg legged pirates.

She was in the middle of shooting a glib comment back at John when he paled and shouted for her, she turned and saw the glint of the dagger, wielded by a toothless pirate, she brought her hand up to cover her face and a blast of water rose up from the ocean and barreled through the pirate and sent him overboard.

She looked at her hand in astonishment, _did I do that_? She jerked her hand upwards and a geyser of water shot from the ocean and drenched everyone on board. A burning sensation scalded her chest causing her to cry out and look down; the shell necklace was glowing hot and vibrating slightly. "Right, magic necklace." She said to herself as she blocked the blow of a pirate with the scimitar. The ocean rocked back and forth, knocking pirates from the boat and scalding them with piping hot water.

"Wendy!" Michael scurried from below decks holding something above his head, it looked like a large circus ring woven from two twisting branches, "Catch!"

He threw it, her arm automatically lifted and it landed on her wrist. The ring suddenly shrunk until it fit snugly on her wrist and vibrated just as the necklace did. Suddenly small pink blossoms rained from the sky followed by large snowflakes that began to coat the deck.

"Wendy what did you do?" Curly called, spitting out a flower.

"I don't know!" she laughed and turned to an advancing pirate. _This must be the ring that the fairies were talking about_. She thought, her mind reeling with wonder. She turns to where Peter is fighting a brawny dark skinned pirate to yell that she had the third item but froze. Hook was quietly advancing on Peter who was so busy fighting with the behemoth of a man to notice. Time suddenly slowed down a crawl, flowers curled slowly down to the ground and everyone's movements seemed slow. Dropping the scimitar on the deck Wendy sprinted, not thinking about the sharp hook or that she probably could have used the scimitar to fight it off, rationality was thrown out the window as she screamed his name, sliding in front of him as Hook drew his arm back and sliced upwards, catching Wendy in the stomach.

Pain blossomed from her middle as Hook looked at her with shock, pulling the hook from her he backed up. Wendy's hands found her middle and they came away red, her knees buckled and someone caught her, everyone seemed to be calling her name over and over again but Wendy's head was buzzing with shock.

_It can't end like this…_ she thought her eyes finding Peter's wide panic filled ones, _can it?_

* * *

**_Ha ha..._**

**_I made myself angry for writing this but... hey you guys wanted an update right? ;) _**

**_Hopefully I can finish this soon so I can work on other projects I have in mind. The end is nigh. _**

**_Please read & review there is almost a hundred reviews on this... just wow!_**

**_-LittleMoonLover-_**


	15. Chapter 15

**Peter's POV**

His arms shot out automatically as she fell, catching her and slowly sinking to the ground and cradling her in his arms. Hook's boots receded backwards until they disappeared from Peter's line of sight. Wendy was panting and gasping for air her eyes lifting to meet his, the panic beginning to fade from her eyes she weakly smiles at him.

"Sorry about last night…" she whispers her grip on his arm loosening slightly, the lost boys gathered around them with wide eyes as snow and wind howled around them and the world turned dark, the stars going out one by one.

"Don't worry about it, it was stupid. Don't talk… just save your strength." He brushed a stray brown coil of hair out of her face.

Wendy chuckled and winced with pain "Tell everyone I love them, won't you?" her pale hand lifted to cradle Peter's face, her breath coming in quick little drafts "And Peter? I love you too, I really do." Her hand slid from his cheek and landed on her torso as she coughed in pain, flecks of blood shooting from her mouth and landing on the white of her gown as she let go of the last tendrils of her life, sinking into the darkness.

Tears slid down Peter's cheeks, is this growing up? He questioned. Feeling pain and loss? His chest seized with a sob, he had never cried in front of anybody.

He lifted his chin to the black sky and howled with anger, pain, and loss, the lost boys edged away from him, they had never seen such raw emotion from their leader before. Peter had never been capable of feeling loss and pain. When Peter stopped, the wind swirled around them, sending the pirates over board into the ice cold water below, the snow whirled around them so thickly that it was hard to see.

"_Remember; keep watch over what you truly want for it may be taken from you before you know it_." The words flitted through Peter's mind like butterflies.

"I love her." Peter whispered his voice was strained from his yelling. The sudden clarity of it hitting him like a brick, Peter loved Wendy in a way that a man loves a woman. This thought finally brought him from the arms of childhood and over the threshold to manhood. "I love her and you bring her back!" he yelled louder.

From the ocean came an unearthly singing that could be heard over the moaning wind, Michael rushed over to the side of the boat and turned with saucer-like eyes "It's the mermaids!" The mermaids had surrounded the boat and were singing a sad almost lamenting song.

From the island little golden lights began to appear in the forest as they came towards the boat. Fairies landed on the sides of the boat and on the sails, talking quietly amongst themselves until the Queen landed on the ground in front of Peter and Wendy. She smiled sadly at Wendy.

"I-I remember what you said, but it's too late now. I've lost her." Peter said hoarsely.

The Queen gestured at her fairies and they flew towards them carrying the clunky crown. "Lay her down flat." She said quietly.

Peter laid Wendy down flat on the ground, her hair fanned out around her head. The fairies placed the crown on her head and it glowed and sparkled with fervor until all that was left was a laurel of golden leaves.

The mermaid's song was suddenly joined by the deep voices of the Indians who stood on the beach below, tears running down their tanned faces.

The three items that adorned Wendy's person began to softly glow, the winds around them calming until the only thing that can be heard was the song that the fairies, the mermaids and the natives sang.

"Now Peter," the Queen said kindly "What do you wish for, more than anything?"

"I want her, I want Wendy." He said firmly as he leaned down and kissed her cold lips. Wendy's body began to turn pink as her body lifted from the deck and into the air the objects flashing with white light and forcing everyone to cover their faces. The light faded leaving dots in Peter's visions, Wendy fell from the air and his arms automatically came out to catch her. She slept peacefully in his arms, as if nothing had happened to her and the objects were gone the only sign that they ever existed at all was a small star shaped scar on Wendy's wrist.

Peter watched her chest rise and fall serenely, he pulled her close his chest beginning to bubble with elation as everyone cheered around him.

* * *

**Only one more chapter left you guys, then a prologue. Thank you so much for staying with me all this time! I can't believe its been like six months since I started this story. **

**I will be working on other projects after this as well (Hopefully finishing some others as well ^^") **

**Please read and review!**

**-LittleMoonLover-**


	16. Chapter 16

Wendy was floating on nothing. She was neither warm nor cold and she no longer felt the pain from her stomach. She didn't know how long she lay suspended in that dark blankness until the tendrils of consciousness began to wrap around her arms and legs and gently lift her to the surface.

* * *

What is all that racket? Was Wendy's first thought as her mind became alert. She experimentally opened one eye and grimaced at the shaft of light that shone on her face, she rolled over and faced the wooded walls of what she assumed was the tree house.

"Is she awake?" said a suddenly hushed voice from over her shoulder.

"I dunno, should we prod her with a stick?" Nib's whispered.

"Nibs that is a terrible idea!" Came John's scandalized voice.

"She can hear you." Wendy sat up slowly, squinting against the light, her brothers who surrounded her gave a collective shout and piled onto the bed with her all talking at once.

"Alright everybody, give her a minute!" John called rallying the group.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Two days, we were really worried." Michael whimpered, tears filling his big blue eyes. Wendy drew him in for a hug "I'm fine, see?" she smiled broadly at her brothers.

Wendy glanced around the room; Hawk, Mo, and Fox were sitting at the table, but Peter was no where to be seen.

"He's… out by the beach waiting for you." Slightly said, looking down at his feet. Wendy leapt from the bed and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing. "Thank you." She simply said before turning and dashing up the tunnel leaving her brothers sitting on the bed.

"Why didn't you say more Slightly?" John queried.

"It wouldn't have mattered now, not when he's finally figured himself out." Slightly stared at the tunnel before turning back to his brothers "Let's get ready!"

"For what?" the younger one's asked.

"Well we're going home of course!"

* * *

Wendy clamored over a sand dune and stood atop it, using her hand to shield her eyes from the light so she could find what she was looking for.

Peter was sitting on a rock that bordered the shoreline, facing the sun which had begun to make its descent. Sliding down the warm sand she hurried towards the rock and clamored up that too. "Hello." She said quietly.

He turned and his face lit up in a way she had never seen before, _what's going on_? She wondered, _what happened_?

"You're awake." He said simply.

"Yes."

They sat for a moment, "We're leaving, I think, I'm sorry I couldn't return you to yourself." Her face became pained at her failure.

"It doesn't matter." Peter said quietly.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" she said sharply her anger sparking. "I failed to return you to yourself, now you'll grow old and die—you can't be the boy who never grows old now!"

"I know."

"What do you mean you know?" Wendy leveled a glare at him "Quit being cryptic Peter."

He leaned forward and cupped her cheek before kissing her gently, Wendy's eyes drifted closed as she gripped the rock for support. Their lips parted and she opened her eyes and locked them with Peter's their noses slowly grazing against each other as he pulled away.

"It doesn't matter, because I love you." He said running his knuckle down her smooth cheek.

"This had better not be some sort of trick Peter." Wendy said quietly.

"It's not… when you were hurt I realized that if you died I wouldn't want to be a boy forever. To live without you forever… I just couldn't fathom it."

"You grew up." Wendy supplied gently.

"Yes. I did."

"So what are we going to do?" She asked taking his hand.

"We're going to go back to London. Together, but first, Wendy Moira Angela Darling will you marry me?"

Wendy smiled a dazzling smile. "I will."

* * *

**Epilogue: **

The following will be what transpired in the later years for our characters…

**Peter:** When Peter left Neverland he made Hawk his successor, the inhabitants of Neverland invited him and Wendy to visit as often as they liked. When he first moved to London he was baffled by everything, he was an intelligent man who caught onto things very quickly and with the help of Mr. Darling (Who was dubious about him in the first place, due to his engagement to Wendy.) he installed himself as a lawyer who quickly rose in the ranks in society due to his wit, intelligence and hard headed tactics. He and Wendy were married three years after his move to London and he took the name Peter Darling.

**Wendy:** Once she returned to London she began to write her first novel which was quickly picked up it was aptly named The Adventures of Peter Pan and Company. She also was a helpful benefactor of many women's homes and started many schools for children, boosting England's education level.

**Peter&Wendy:** In their lifetime Peter and Wendy had six children. Eleanor (The eldest girl), Marcus (The eldest boy), Sophia and Cassandra (The twins, and middle children), Klaus (The youngest boy), and Lydia (The youngest child). After Marcus was born they decided to move to the country just outside of London to raise their children. Often for the summer holidays they would take the children to Neverland where they would play on the beaches and converse with the fairies. Later on in life Eleanor fell in love with Fox who inevitably left Neverland to be with her (Taking the name Franklin). All of their children went on to do things in their lives.

_Eleanor_ married Franklin and Franklin studied medicine in America where they soon moved. They had several children and Franklin served in World War I and World War II. Eleanor was a volunteer nurse in World War II.

_Marcus _became an engineer helping to create more environmentally friendly automobiles. He did not serve in the wars due to a leg injury he got when he was a child. He married an African American woman named Olivia and they had two children together.

_Sophia _grew up to be as pretty as can be and eventually married a politician, having four children (All girls). She had her father's wit and temperament which made her legendary with the press.

_Cassandra_ was the hard headed tomboy of the bunch, not marrying until she was nearly thirty; she served in World War II as a code breaker for the Allies. She married an Irish man and lived near her mother and father. They had eight red headed children.

_Klaus_ was the entrepaneur of the bunch, he became a high powered business man who was one of the few men unaffected by the great depression and was able to help his family through it as well. He married a young American secretary named Deanna and had one son named Patrick.

Finally, _Lydia_ took after her mother and wrote famous novels about a female detective who gallivanted around the world solving mysteries and falling in love with different men in every book. Her actual love life was a bit simpler, she'd had many men courting her (she was like Wendy in her looks) but in the end she chose the simple Henry Kimbel who taught at Oxford University. They had three children together.

_Slightly (Simon):_ He went into banking like John did and together they opened their own bank, ironically he ended up marrying Karina, Wendy's best friend, he met her at Wendy and Peter's wedding. They had three adorable cherub looking children who often went to the country side to play with Wendy and Peter's rowdy bunch.

_John:_ John of course opened a bank with Slightly and married a woman after his own heart, a librarian named Jill, they had one child together.

_Michael:_ He went on to Oxford and served in World War I, he was released from duty early due to his leg having to be amputated after being shot and infected. He met a gentle girl named Lily who nursed him back to health. They had two children (twin boys)

_Hawk:_ Hawk stayed in Neverland for many years, finally deciding to leave after Peter and Wendy passed away in 1988, he met Wendy's great granddaughter Prudence in San Francisco, California and fell in love with her. They married.

_Mo:_ Finally we come to the youngest of our story; Mo was eventually taken in by the Darling family and raised as the youngest brother of many. He took the name Maurice and moved to America to attend Harvard. He then became a scientist that worked on the Manhattan Project and was shot during the Cold War when a spy tried to escape with plans to the _Fat man_ (a nuclear bomb), he barely survived and afterwards moved back to England with his wife and children.

* * *

**Thats all folks! I'm so grateful for all of those who have stuck with me these past, what? Seven or eight months? You guys can definitely expect a few mushy one-shots about Wendy and Peter's married life. **

**I will eventually start another project so be on the lookout for that. **

**Thank you and I adore you all!**

**-LittleMoonLover-**


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